Dancing in the Rain
by ziva-adaleh
Summary: Ziva took a week off to go see her cousin, a week turned into a year and she ended up being a captive. When the team finds her, will she ever be the same? Rated R for smut, dark themes & language. ft.broken!Ziva & Over Protective!Team
1. Shatter

Authors note: YES i know, Ziva's eyes are brown-however in this story they are not-due to the mention of family and yada yada. it's going to take place later on in the story..

* * *

Ziva could still feel the familiar sting of the whip against her back.

In the back she could still hear Mina's small hiccup wrenched sobs.

"Enough Papa stop it!" Ella went on, trying to get a reaction from her dad, the three year old looking scared as ever.

Ziva sucked in another breath as she winced again, this time it struck her lower back.

If not for Somalia she would have been in tears, it had taken only days to break her down the way they had done there, of course this man wasn't torturing for information.

No, it wasn't any information he wanted, it was his own sick pleasure.

It wasn't even half an hour ago when she was caught trying to help Eva rush inside when HE had come home.

Ziva cursed out in Hebrew-tears began to threaten her hazel eyes as it hit her already torn back.

She shouldn't have made a run for the stairs either, the past few months of torture were beginning to wear down on the mossad part of her. Even though that part was more and more present every day, trying to be strong for the to children Eva had given birth to, even though they weren't hers, they were good enough. Ziva cried out loudly again, snapping out of her thoughts as she looked at the man infront of her, he had moved.

"Just kill me already!" Ziva spat, meaning for the dead body still hanging in chains next to her.

Anything was better then watching what had happened to her poor, sweet, innocent cousin.

Yes, Ziva could handle torture, Her mind just seemed to switch from i might be worth it to her being worthless.

Somewhere in the back of her head Ziva felt she deserved this.

She deserved the pain her "Master" gave her.

Tears threatened her eyes again, the chain around her neck was making her skin raw.

If only she had a reason to fight back.

Sure, she had to watch over the kids like she promised Eva, but Ziva herself couldn't think of a reason for herself.

She just wanted it to end.

She was worthless.

Tony nor the rest of her team seamed to know where she was.

There was no chance of her ever going home, much less seeing any of her 'families' faces, again.

McGee.

Gibbs.

Tony.

Ziva bit into her lip deeply as the man suddenly cut the binds that had been holding her up all this time as Ziva fell into a small slump onto the floor, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Abby.

Ducky.

Jimmy.

The baby's dead fetus was still by the stairs, he kicked it towards her as he grabbed The young Ella and Dustin, heading upstairs and leaving a quietly sobbing Ziva to the newly orphaned Zachary and Jasmine.

Jasmine was still having small hiccups as Her three year old twin felt around the floor, following his sisters cries. It wasn't until she heard the familiar sound of the basement door locking as she began to move, ignoring the obvious pain that rang all over her body she made her way over to the warn out large pillow, she rest her entire body against that and the wall, her shirt had been taken off earlier trying to stop the bleeding that was on Eva's leg.

Slowly she took a glance at her cousin, one of the captives that had been with her this whole year as her eyes stung again.

Ziva moved over, so she wasn't facing the wall, and pulled the two crying children up to her, trying to soothe them into falling into a slow and steady sleep, also trying to block out her dead cousins screams that were still stuck in her mind.

Along with his eyes, those deep blue eyes that seemed to be capable of so many drastic things..

Ziva watched the twins sleep, it wasn't long until she had almost allowed her body to rest as well.


	2. Blood Covered Roses

Chapter 2: Blood Covered Roses

Ziva awoke to feel a sharp pain in her foot, causing her to instinctively kick as hard as she can. The man that had been tending to it yelled out and fell over.

Sitting up quickly Ziva had looked at one of her captors. This one was different then the older two. He seemed to look a year or two older then her, in his late twenties. His hair was close to a sandy blonde, and curly, he had jade eyes that seemed almost scared of her. He was clean compared to the Dirt and Blood Covered Israeli and her new ''children''.

"I-I'm sorry I had n-no idea they were doing this to you. Lunch is here." He got up and bolted after she mumbled thank you before she mentally hit the back of her head, calling herself an idiot. The two twins were already eating, Ziva looked to her plate and froze in place.

Her Cellphone.

Who the hell should she call? Gibbs? No he wouldn't get the text.. Tony. Lets hope Tony hadn't changed his number, it was a slim chance. She took it.

* * *

Ziva rested her head against the dirty pillow as she hugged Jasmine-or Mina as the twins father had once called her closer. She couldn't keep this up. Her body was tired, sick from infections toying with the cuts, her bruises were getting worse, so were the gashes all along her tiny frame. Ziva only lifted her head slightly when she heard a car pull out of the drive way, she could have gotten up and watched through the small window but that would have been useless.

Minutes later Ziva found herself using her arms to drag her frame up against the wall as she pressed her ear against it. Silence. Complete Silence. That was good, no one was home probably. Ziva knew the walls of the estate-like area were thin, she could sometimes here three floors up.

Carefully Ziva began to crawl her way over to a window, dragging an old, splintered box against the wall. The cuts on her feet were almost to painful to walk on.

"Ifa. Ifa, Come here" her voice was hushed, as she called Isabella over to her. The eight year old came out of the shadows.

"Are they gone?" The small child's french accent hung thickly in the air.

"Yes, for now, we must hurry. Hand me the rock by the faucet." Ziva nodded towards an old, mangled version of a sink as Isabella quickly ran over and came back with a large rock.

Ziva ripped off small portions of what was left of her shirt as she laid it on the box so not to get splinters on her feet. Standing up on it her legs shifted uneasily, grabbing the rock, She threw it through the window as it shattered.

"Quick Ifa, come through here." Ziva mumbled as she moved shards of glass out of her way. Using the most of the strength she had she lifted the eight year-old up, and got her through the window. "Wait here, if they come i want you to forget about us and run." Ziva turned around and froze in her place as Ifa shrieked and ran off into the woods.

The man was beginning to undo his belt.


	3. Veneto

Ziva felt the man finish inside of her as he kicked her in the gut "Don't ever think of trying that again" He spat as she fell over, shaking. The man walked back upstairs as Mina walked over to Eva's rotting corpse, shaking it.

"Mommy wake up!" Mina echoed, her words slurred by her age as she kept shaking the twenty-three year old's limp dead arm.

Ziva crawled over to the corpses next to Mina as she gently pulled the little child closer, Mina began to sob into Ziva's bare chest. "Hush, shh shh Tateleh.." Ziva started to rub her back, she was beginning to feel she had begun to make it worse. She would never have her mother's arms around her when she cried, she would never listen to her mom sing her a lullaby at night again, and she would never get to have her dad trying to fend off boys as she grew older.

Angel. That was what Eva had called her often, when she needed something, when she came home hurt, when she had done something her mother was proud of. Mina definitely had her mom and dad wrapped around her tiny fingers, just like Zach had. Carefully Ziva pulled Mina into her lap as she worked around her.

Normally it would be wrong to possibly tamper with bodies, but no one would come for her, not now. Gently Ziva worked the wedding rings off of Eva and Jesse's dead fingers, shortly after she took off Eva's Cameo.

Mina was beginning to fall asleep, Ziva wanted the little girl to fall asleep more then anything, hopefully her dreams would not be as bad as the reality they faced. Ziva had gotten her back on the mat they called they're bed. The smell of the two dead bodies rotting was becoming unbearable.

Little did she know she was only a few hours away from seeing her team.

Ten A.M. - America

McGee kept taking pictures of the crime scene, Tony bagging them suit. "I still don't understand, why would Ziva leave for a week and then just send a letter to us saying she never wants to see us again? Something isn't right Probette, I have a gut feeling.."

McGee Glanced at him irritably "Are you sure it's not just gas tony? You've been eating a lot of Falefel's lately, we all know they give you.."

"Whatever McGlamourous, just keep taking pictures." Tony watched across the park, seeing Ducky and Gibbs standing over the body talking.

"I just don't understand, the poor girl hasn't talked to us in over nine months Gibbs, it would seem almost as if she's hiding something or-" Ducky was cut off by Gibbs,

"I've read the letter myself, there was at least three words we had used Undercover as warnings. Something is wrong, we need to find out what first" Gibbs took a drink of his coffee "What do you have duck? Anything useful yet?"

"Well, like the others his tongue was cut out pre-mortem, and it seems his 'best friend' as tony keeps putting it off was cut off before too, but it seems this time it was someone else, maybe an accomplice?"

"Is all we need is two serial killers out there, one is too much"

"Well by the look of the cuts on his middle it would seem this one hesitated" Ducky leaned over the body again, lifting his wrists when he saw a small cut on it "Well now. Gibbs can you take a picture of this for me? It seems we missed something"

Gibbs kneeled down to get a look at it "An address? Maybe another body."

"Well old friend, it seems you might be heading to Italy. Veneto, Italy to be exact."

"Lets hope not, I'm still trying to get used to the time here.."

* * *

Authors Note: Pre-mortem, yes i know i Definitely failed on that. The Next Chapter will be when Ziva gets taken back to America, with her niece and Nephew at her side. Thanks for all of the reviews!.. and yes, i suck at writing(typing) about Gibbs, Ducky, Tony and McGee


	4. The Rescue

Ziva looked at the small puppy that had been kicked down the stairs. She seemed cold for a second, watching to make sure it was still alive, carefully she made her way over to the small pup as she gently picked it up, the animal whimpered.

"What is wrong?" Ziva tilted her head, watching as the small animal crawled on the sheet. It couldn't have been more then twelve weeks old, how had it survived the fall? Gently Ziva lifted his tail. "oh. your a boy.."

Ziva set him down gently, he seemed fine, dehydrated at the most. He was probably a runt of a liter. she bit her lip slightly, not knowing of a way she could feed it. "What is your name? I can't call you Dog."

Ziva smiled slightly at it as she gently ran a finger down his back "Are you hurt too?"

She set him down after she had found a way to give it water with what little they had in the basement. She was interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open,

* * *

"So boss, whats the plan?"

"Well Gee DiNozzo, haven't you been listening?" Gibbs hit Tony on the back of the head. Dumb Ass..

"Sorry boss, right" Tony got off the plane with Ducky and McGee "So why is he here again?"

"We are expecting a body Anthony, what do you think?" Ducky said as they trudged their way over to a car.

"Shouldn't their be more people then just us?" McGee looked at Gibbs.  
"Were all Vance could sacrifice for now"

Tony went pale "Sacrifice?"

* * *

Ziva shut her eyes, he was taking longer inside of her then normal. She watched the children to make sure they hadn't woken up.

She wanted to kill him, to make him suffer until his heart gave out.

He was sadistic, she couldn't wait to take the chance and make his "karma kick him back in the butt" as Eva used to say.

Ziva dug her nails into the floor, wincing as she felt him let himself go inside of her. Ziva gritted her teeth, he hadn't even withdrawn himself from her yet when the window had shattered, what Ziva couldn't see saved her. A bullet, mysteriously from a sniper flew through the air and got him straight in the back of his skull. His body fell slump against her as it had fallen onto the floor.

Ziva panicked and backed away for a second, taking it as a chance as she grabbed the first blunt object she could find. A wooden plank. It dug splinters into her small delicate hands as she sat on her knees, the twins had woken up the second the wood collided with his skull, she cried out for a second, losing her composure as she proceeded to beat his skull in.

The little dog she had fed started to tug on the dead man's pant leg, growling as Ziva kept hitting the skull, even after she heard a satisfying crack. Eventually Ziva had felt to weak to hold the plank as she let it drop, her chest heaved.

Someone just took a shot. I need to get them into a safe spot.. Ziva's chest heaved up and down, her small body making it close to panting as she looked at Zachary and Mina. She didn't want their parents body's to be target practices so she moved them into a corner by the high risen windows, the only two in the room, carefully she helped the kids into a spot where no gun could get to them.

As Ziva sat down she noticed the dog was by them, she smiled slightly at it, patting it's forehead "My little warrior?" Smiling softly at the dog, the dog got up on her lap, panting a bit due to the summer smell the dead body's had casted into the room, creating an eerie heat.

"Toooh-beeee" Mina smiled at the dog, getting her first glance at it as she echoed out the name shortly before being hushed by Ziva. As the three year old looked at the dog the first thing she compared him to was a wolf, with big brown innocent eyes.

Ziva gently moved Mina and Zach towards her as they huddled closer into the corner, hearing gun shots upstairs Ziva breathed in slowly and shut her eyes, hoping the children would be alright at the end of the day.

* * *

"They're dead boss." McGee looked at the two small children, only about five as he removed his hand from the body "long dead."

Tony cursed under his breath "What kind of sick bastard kills children.."

Gibbs looked at the kids, headed downstairs, moving over the man's body he had just claimed with his sniper. He headed into what looked like a children when he heard a small mumble from beneath him.

Gibbs's heart nearly stopped. Tony rushed over with McGee

"Did we miss a spot Boss?" McGee looked at Gibbs

"The basement" Gibbs said quickly as he bolted for the basement door, kicking it down.

A normal person would have puked at the smell, bodies, dead, he could see the man he had shot lying on the floor, but it looked like someone else had gotten to it. Gibbs walked into the room, at first he didn't see Ziva in the corner trying to hush the children.

Tony walked into the room next to his boss, what he saw Tony Definitely knew would haunt his dreams for ages. Ziva looked torn, she was hardly clothed. Open cuts, bruises and wounds covered her body, clean parts of her skin were only due to the tears she had eventually let claim her, a lot more often then normal for the Israeli.

Ziva looked like she had been an albino all her life, There was a massive black bruise under her eye, almost swelling up her eye, her lip was deeply cut, she looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks, or longer. Tony froze, watching her for a second as she looked like she was about to pass out, her eyes slowly followed the floor to the sudden light by the door as she looked at Tony and Gibbs in complete disbelief. _they had found her._

* * *

Gibbs had taken about an hour to get everything ready, the kids got food and medical attention, but Ziva had almost refused to be tended to, unless by ducky. They were on the plane back to America, Ziva had the twins by her side, the dog was still with them, both her and the dog had been sleeping most of the flight.

It was the nightmares that had caught Tony off guard. He remembered what she was like coming back from Somalia. But this, this was different, Ziva was crying in her sleep, almost begging for someone to stop. Watching her he had begun to grow protective of her, not wanting to ever let her out of his sights again.

Tony hadn't noticed both Gibbs, Ducky, and McGee's eyes were almost targeted at her, refusing to look away at the sight.

Ziva had awoken around the same time the flight had landed, not seeming to even acknowledge the nightmares, McGee Gibbs and Tony had helped get Mina and Zachary along with the dog out of the plane.

Ducky and Gibbs had noticed Ziva was having a hard time walking, keeping up with them-but they'd wait until they had gotten back at NCIS, gotten her cleaned up to completely look her over, thoroughly.

Ducky's assistant, Jimmy Palmer, was still taking a day off from work when they had gotten there.

Abby was in her lab, oblivious to what had gone on as she kept drinking her caf-pow, waiting for a bullet to find it's match in the data-base she was searching.

* * *

The ride up the elevator had been a tense one, Tony noted in his head it was the one they had used the first time. Except Ziva stood in the corner, with Mina and Zachary nearly clinging onto her legs, Mina was still holding onto the dog-Toby.

Ziva was nervous, she had no idea what awaited her this time.


	5. Sleep

Ziva stared at the doors as the elevators slowly opened. She had found her self shifting her legs every other moment, surprised her legs hadn't given out yet she watched the world spin around her, Gibbs was the first to get out of the elevator, then McGee. She was about to take another step when her body fell onto the floor, Ziva froze, not moving as she heard voices around her, a light shined blindingly into her eyes. She heard a child's scream-when Ziva couldn't stay awake any longer her eyes drifted closed.

The world was confusing to Zachary today. He had stayed with his twin and held a small animal, it was fluffy, and moving. Zach had followed Ziva and Jazzy' into the elevator unknowingly and grabbed Ziva's leg when the elevator went up. It scared him, but McGee explained it shortly to him, he felt it stop as a weird noise went off, someone left the room as he buried his head in his Aunts leg. She still smelt like cinnamon. Out of nowhere he felt her slump back against the wall, someone tried to remove him from his Aunt. Zachary started to kick and scream with all his might, not even Gibbs could calm him down-but eventually he calmed down when Mina and him had been joined again.

* * *

Authors Note: Just a really really short part, not even a chapter really, lol.


	6. Sisters

When Ziva awoke she had lied there for what seemed like an hour. Darkness. Warmth. Her body stayed stiff, not giving away her consciousness to anyone who might be watching. She stopped breathing, listening closely to the area around her. She could hear panting from a dog as it pawed around on the bed.

Bed. She wasn't in the basement. Ziva's body calmed for a minute then jerked up at full attention of the next question coming into her head "Then WHERE are you?" Ziva shut her eyes slowly, breathing in any scent she could tell. She recognized it, but she couldn't place it. After waiting another minute to make sure no one was in the room she sat up, wincing despite her best efforts not to and looked around.

It took her eyes a moment to register the furniture in the room. It wasn't in the house the men had stayed at, had they relocated, given us another chance to ''behave''? Carefully sliding out of the warm bed, before cursing at the feeling of being on both feet Ziva stumbled across the room, wrapping her hand around the door. Most of the times she would have just opened it normally, slightly with care, but Ziva turned the knob slowly-in shock the door was unlocked.

She wasn't there.

She wasn't being held.

But was she safe?

Ziva's legs trembled every time she took a step, threatening to make her fall down on her knees-like a child learning to walk for the first time. Slowly she made her way down a hall, looking around in the darkness. She had been here before, but she couldn't put her name on it. Walking down towards a small area she stopped at a door and hesitated. She couldn't remember last night, or any of it for that matter. The last thing Ziva remembered was seeing Ifa run and thinking.. God what was she thinking of?

Ziva mentally hit the back of her head and looked around. She couldn't stand here all night. Grabbing the door knob she opened the door in the same fashion as she was nearly slammed into the smell of saw dust. Gibbs.

Ziva hesitated, hearing the noise of sand paper being moved against wood in steady strokes. Carefully she slipped through the door, walking down the steps as she watched her footing. Last time she fell down a set of stairs she had enough bruises to prove it. When she had gotten to the bottom of the stairs Gibbs hadn't noticed her yet.

"How long was I out?" Ziva walked towards one of his boats he had almost finished, glancing at the wood with curiosity. Her voice had still come out different. Broken, Softer-almost scared.

Gibbs stopped standing, pausing for a second as he glanced at her "A few days."

Good, he wasn't going all soft and fuzzy, she could handle that. "And the twins?" Sitting up on a small stool, Ziva watched him get back to work.

"With Ducky, he seems to be the only one to calm them down."

Ziva nodded slightly "That makes sense"

There was an awkward shift of silence in the air, for a few minutes no one had said anything, Gibbs had gotten back to working on his boat. Ziva watched him, she seemed to black out for a minute.

"Who were they to you?" Ziva jumped slightly when she heard him say it-he seemed to come out straight about everything, never hesitating.

"Excuse me?"

"Who were the bodies we found in the basement to you?"

Ziva's throat went dry "Which ones?"

"All of them"

"A-" Ziva found herself hesitating, she stayed sat on the bench "A dead man, family, and a.." Ziva hadn't realized she had clenched her jaw at the thought of the mans face, pounded in by the rock, but she knew she would gladly do it again. That was what scared her.

Gibbs listened, waiting for an answer and then he just nodded "who was the girl?"

"My.. cousin.." Ziva trailed off again, looking at the floor.

"Ziver, look at me."

No answer.

Ziva stared at the floor for what felt like minutes, eventually she raise her head. He had been watching her patiently. "Yes, Gibbs?"

"Why?" He added nothing more, but when Ziva looked in his eyes she knew the answer.

* * *

Ziva giggled, setting down her suitcase she had packed with enough clothes to last the summer as the man she knew as papouli began to give her a long speech about leaving things on the floor. Ziva smiled and ran up the stairs of the orphanage. Her french braid swinging from side to side as she did.

"Eva! Eva! Eva! Eva!" Eight year old Ziva excitedly ran into Eva's own room. "Happy birthday to youuuu!" Ziva began to sing out inharmoniously, smiling as she sat on Eva's bed.

The six year old Eva looked up from what she was doing "I live in a Zoooooo"

Ziva had tilted her head, confused with what Eva said as she watched her cousin put run black marker along her only toy's hair. "What are you doing to Cassie?" Ziva Moved around the bed until she got comfy. Ziva had stopped playing with toys at her age-but the only thing was different was that Eva was in a situation where she could grow up however she wanted, unlike Ziva.

"I'm making her look like you, so i don't feel lonely when your gone. All of the other kids hate me." Eva said with a pout, looking at the floor.

Ziva nodded a bit-she felt selfish. Unlike all of the other kids Eva stayed at the orphanage permanently. The money to run the place came from Eva's father.

Getting up Ziva grabbed a brown marker and took a few strands of the dolls hair, dragging it down to add highlights "I Think they are just jealous, maybe it's because your prettier then them?"

"I am not pretty." Eva said as she pointed to her skin in the mirror "I look like a rat"

Ziva smirked a bit "A Funny one too."

Eva's mouth formed in the shape of an "O" as she hit Ziva's arm "Mean!"

Ziva laughed until she ran out of breath, then kept laughing, eventually Eva had joined in, even though she didn't understand. It had gone on the same for several minutes. When the two girl's laughter had bubbled down Ziva looked at Eva "Lets go outside?" Ziva suggested, headed for the door.

A few minutes later and Ziva and her were heading into the woods around Italy, Ziva was helping Eva at the parts she couldn't cross.

"When we get older, will we both have children?"

Ziva thought for a minute, thinking as they walked along a log "Yes of course" Ziva teased, adding an accent to her voice to make herself sound like Papouli "Everyone should have children" Ziva said as she slumped her back, putting a finger over her lips to imitate a mustache-trying to act like Papouli as she walked on "It is the way of life. Everyone must have a child, and that child will have children, and, did you know?" Eva burst out in bubbles of laughter, eventually she laughed so hard she fell into a huge spot full of mud, ruining her dress. Ziva's mouth dropped as they both laughed harder.

They had kept walking around in the woods, going deeper until they had found their tree house Eva and her had made from spare boards and anything the could rummage from the house. Ziva helped Eva clean up in a near by stream, getting all of the mud off of her hair and dress. When they were done they went into their 'house'.

Eva had taken off her dress and pulled on a pair of shorts she kept stashed in the fort, Ziva gave Eva one of the shirts she was wearing under her jacket.

A few hours they were looking up at the stars.

"Ziva?"

"Yes Eva?"

"When we grow up, can we live like this?"

"like what?" Ziva said, looking up at the sky,

Eva huffed, she had begun to get tired. "in the same house, like here, with out husbands and children?"

"Mmmm..." Ziva made it look like she was considering not as she smiled "Yes! and our house will be as big as Papouli's, we can have a stream running through it like here and have it be out in the woods, and our WHOLE entire family will live with us!" Ziva went on excitedly, her face lighting up as she began to make a detailed plan about their life-making it seem as perfect as it could to an eight year old, Eva listened happily, watching the stars.

"Will I Ever have family, like you do?" Eva interrupted as Ziva tilted her head.

"I Can be your family" Ziva smiled proudly at herself

"Macy said that the only way two none related people can be family is if their parents adopt them or they cut their hands and put them together"

"Well Macy's a liar, remember?"

"but can we?"

"Can we what?"

"Become sisters?" Eva tilted her head, looking like a lost puppy as Ziva sat up.

"Fiiine"

"Yay!" Eva bounced up and down excitedly as Ziva pulled out a knife.

"What's that?" Eva pointed to it.

"Ari said it's a sig, i found it under Daddy's bed." Ziva looked down guiltily for a second "He doesn't know i took it with me"

Eva smiled, wanting to change the subject to avoid Ziva being more upset "Sisters?"

Ziva cut into her hand as her face went red, she tried not to show the fact it hurt.

Eva did the same, but her cut was smaller and unlike Ziva she made it clear she didn't like the feeling. They both clasped their hands together giggling as they stared up at the sky.

"Sisters." Ziva added, just under her breath,

About an hour later Ziva and Eva had returned back to the orphanage, Papouli yelled at them both-but they hadn't cared.

* * *

"Ziver, why the letter?"

"I had to get a warning out to you. All three of those men are more dangerous then I have ever-"  
Ziva was cut of by Gibbs.

"Three?"


	7. Eleven Dead

Ziva watched Gibbs as he poured his first cup of Coffee that morning. It had been silent almost all night, even though Ziva hadn't slept, she had heard that he hadn't either, Gibbs had been too busy working on his boat and lost track of time.

Ziva sighed slowly, getting up after he went for his shower Ziva walked gracefully across the cold wooden floors of the house.

Ziva's body ached, her middle still felt sore. Her back burned, she could feel the soft material of her shirt itching against her back. Her head throbbed, Occasionally her vision went double sighted.

Ziva looked towards the window, pondering what may have happened to Ifa-tears threatened her eyes of the thought of Isabella being cold, starving, stuck outside on her own with know knowledge on how to survive-or worse, dead.

Sitting down by the window Ziva looked outside at the rain.

It had been pouring for the past three hours, she hadn't realized she was scratching one of her wounds.

"We better go, well be late for work if we don't go now" Gibbs came out, fixing his white shirt as he headed for the door, Ziva got up and followed him silently.

The ride to NCIS went by slowly, Ziva was impatient. When they had gotten there Ziva nearly bolted out of the car, heading for the doors after Gibbs had nearly tossed Ziva her somehow still valid badge.

She followed him into the Elevator once they made their way in, Ziva was silent, watching Gibbs as he kept hold of his coffee.

* * *

A nineteen year old Ziva paced the room impatiently, she was worried-she didn't bother trying to hide it.

"Eva he has been gone all day? What if something happened? I know you hate to admit it to but Papouli IS old." Ziva chewed on her lip as she kept pacing, playing with her knife to stop from screaming her lungs out.

"I'm sure he's fine, he probably just ran into an old friend or something and decided to spend the day with him, you know how he is more then anyone. He gets distracted so easily." Eva tried to reason with her cousin as she juggled her daughter in her lap a bit, the four year old wanting down.

"Or he got hit in a shooting" Ziva stopped for a second then paced the floor again "Or kidnapped.."

"Ziv-ie, babe, calm down your sounding like Macey on crack" Cameron tried to reason with her, rubbing her back gently.

"DON'T Touch me Cam!"

"Hey! As the oldest person in this house I'm in charge. I'll touch whoever i want"

"OH MY GOD!" Macey walked down the stairs of the bilingual home "I AM TRYING TO SLEEP!" The eight teen year old waved her arms around the air frustratedly "I have a huge ass test tomorrow and if you guys keep me up because your afraid of stupid little things that go bump in the-"

"Shut up!" Cameron and Ziva barked at the same time. Ziva Shifted in her pj's and sighed uncomfortably.

Eva laid back against the arm of the sofa, playing with her long, curly dark locks as she sighed heavily. "you know what we should do?"

"Hide all of the sharp objects from Ziva before she decides to start cutting off limbs from me and Cameron?" Kolten lifted his head from the corner by the fireplace.

Eva burst out into a small fit of laughter, Isabella getting up and waddling off into her room, playing with Tessa the Siberian husky they all owned.

Ziva pouted, looking at all of them "I only tried doing that once." Cameron gagged on his drink.

Eva bit her lip "lets have an in night" Eva wriggled her brows.

"NOOOOO!" Ziva groaned "last time i hit my head and ended up with a bruise on my forehead for a week, and it wasn't a pretty one."

Eva just blinked, throwing the worlds biggest puppy dog eyes at Ziva.

Ziva looked away, and eventually looked at Eva. "Fine, but absolutely NO Booze."

"Yes! yes! ohhh Zii your the best!" Eva jumped up and down out of no where, looking like an excited puppy as Ziva rubbed her forehead.

About an hour later Ziva was seen sliding across the hall in her favorite tank top and her PJ Shorts, dancing to music with Macey.

Cameron kept snatching pictures of the two of them. Ziva's curls blowing in her face occasionally as she danced, the speakers vibrating loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

Ziva's laugh echoed through the house as she stumbled a bit, walking over to Eva and Kolten "What are you two up to?"

"Kolten's giving me a tattoo" Ziva glanced up and down, watching as he worked on her neck.

"Good thing he's done it before, I'd have to-" Ziva stopped and bursts out into a fit of giggles, falling over.

Macey stopped dancing, tilting her head as she stood right in front of Ziva's head. Ziva kept laughing until her chest began to ache.

Cameron shrugged and took another picture as Macey began to make silly poses to the camera.

Ziva furrowed her brows, hearing a knock at the door. Cameron immediately turned off the music as Kolten covered the unfinished tattoo on the back of Eva's neck. Cameron, Eva, and Kolten immediately ran upstairs, hiding in a bathroom.

Ziva glanced at Macey. "Act cute." Ziva walked over to the wooden door, resting her ear against the wall next to it, listening for a noise.

Two more knocks. Ziva cursed under her breath and grabbed her Beretta. Opening the door slowly, keeping it on the chain she was met by a crying Jessica.

"Jess?" Macey walked up to the door as the others shuffled their way downstairs. Jessica hiccuped and made a fit of hysterical sobs "Pa-hospital-car" Jessica hiccuped yet again, Ziva opened the door, letting her in then locking all five bolts again.

Eva walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her "Whats wrong J?"

Jessica burst into more tears, gripping onto Eva's shirt as it began to dawn on them.

Cameron walked over next to Ziva and Eva, hugging Eva and Jessica, shortly after Kolten hugged Macey in order to stop the wig crazy girl from breaking down into a panic attack.

Ziva just stood there, not knowing what to say.

* * *

Ziva walked out of the elevator, sitting down at her desk, which surprisingly hadn't been touched for a year, maybe dusted-but not touched.

Ziva started up the computer, wanting to check her e-mails. It had been a year but she secretly hoped Cameron hadn't sent her anything.

Gibbs looked at Ziva "Don't get to comfortable, the others will be here soon."

Ziva nodded, scrolling through her e-mails, more then enough to last sifting through all day. Ziva sorted through it quicker, getting rid of all of the crap first. 23 e-mails were from Cameron and the others.

Ziva looked at the most recent one, not having enough stomach to look through the others. Kolten, offering to go out for dinner. Dinner?

Ziva chuckled dryly, getting a confused look from Gibbs. she wouldn't have been able to go out to dinner three weeks ago even if she tried. Hell, she would have been lucky to get food three weeks ago.

Gibbs watched her, glancing at his computer occasionally. So many emotions wore through Ziva's face. A normal person wouldn't notice if they looked. But if he payed enough attention to watching her he could sometimes read her expressions when she fell quiet. She looked lost, upset, scared, and most of all confused.

Ziva wrote a short letter to Macey, telling her to tell the others that she was fine, just that she needed to be left alone. She lied. After doing so she deleted everything in her inbox, she didn't want to read any of it.

Is all Ziva David wanted to do was cut herself off from the world. Or her old world at least, she knew the team would never let her just disappear. That was the only thing she took comfort in.

Gibbs kept working, eventually throwing away his Coffee as he watched Ziva, keeping an eye on her.

He had nearly thought he lost her, more three times now. He wouldn't lose her again. He wouldn't lose anyone on his team again. His memories drifted over to Kate as he watched Ziva fall asleep at her desk.

"uhh.. Boss?" McGee looked at Ziva as she slept when he entered the bullpen.

"Let her be McGee, SHE has a long day ahead of her, now get to work" Gibbs took another drink of his Coffee then turned off his computer.

"I'm getting another Coffee, Keep an eye on David." Gibbs got up, leaving the room.

**Ziva had awoken to the sound of waves crashing against a shore line. **

**Lifting her head she looked around confused, she felt a familiar hand stroking her hair gently, moving it out of her eyes as she opened them slowly, looking up at the man that was comforting her.**

**Tony. Ziva smiled sightly, his eyes were shut, he was humming some song from a movie, she almost thought he was asleep. Ziva rested there for a few minutes longer. **

**She felt safe. 'Tony' kept stroking her curls gently, eventually tangling his hand in them.**

**Out of no where the man grabbed her hair, picking her up by her long tresses and threw her across the beach. **

**Eva who had appeared out of no where was just sitting on the floor, crying. **

**Tony grabbed her hair again and he kicked her jaw.**

**Ziva fell against the sand, he yanked her hair up, forcing her to look down the beach as her heart stopped, dropping.**

**Ima.**

**Tali.**

**Ari.**

**Papouli.**

**Micheal.**

**Eva.**

**Kolten.**

**Ella.**

**Dustin.**

**Zachary.**

**They were all standing there, watching her.**

**Out of no where shots rang through the air, they all fell down onto the ground, one by one.**

**Ziva screamed out in terror, struggling with all she could, suddenly feeling weaker then in Italy. The man yanked her up by the hair and looked her in the eyes. Some where in the midst of this, "Tony" Had become Dallas, his sharp blue eyes piecing into hers as he raised a gun to her chest.**

Ziva awoke with a start, sitting up straight as she breathed in heavily, gasping for air for a moment.

McGee looked up at her alarmed, "You Okay Zi?"

Ziva breathed in slowly, staring at her desk for a moment "Yes, It was just a dream."

"Do you want to take about it?" McGee looked at her sympathetically for a second.

"No. Where did Gibbs go?" Ziva looked around, her hazel eyes looking around the room as they landed on the elevator.

The elevators opened with a slight ding, Tony stepped out, followed by Gibbs as the older Agent looked at Ziva, then at McGee. Timothy shrugged coolly "she had a nightmare, not much happened."

Ziva looked at them both confused.

Tony walked over to her to ruffle her hair "Did Ziva stay up late watching Zombie movies, Again?" Tony teased, reaching out for her curls as Ziva grabbed his wrist, twisting it around almost enough to get close to breaking it as she slammed his hand down on the desk, letting it go shortly after a long wail from Tony.

Ziva shot McGee a glare that could be seen coming from a mile away then looked at Gibbs "I Am fine"

Tony walked over to his desk, rubbing his wrist as he looked at Ziva "And what was this dream about?"

Ziva hesitated for a second, then glared at tony, a slightly Raspy tone coming from her voice

"Ha, not likely I'd tell you."

Ziva stopped and looked at her desk, unlocking it quickly and looking inside. Nothing.

Ziva sighed slowly and looked up at Gibbs.

"Question."

"Yes, David?"

"Have I had any..err visitors last year? I mean while I was gone." Ziva nearly rolled her eyes at herself

"No" Gibbs walked towards her desk.

"Ooh there was that one goth chick, looked a lot like Abbs without pig tails."

Ziva swallowed slightly "What did she ask for?"

Tony leaned in to his desk a bit "Yeah i can never really remember that."

Ziva nodded slightly and looked up at Gibbs.

"Come on, Ziver. Ducky's probably already there."

Ziva furrowed her brows in confusion as she got up, following him to the elevator. She turned around and glanced back at tony and McGee, smiling reassuringly before entering the Elevator.

Halfway down towards Ducky's Autopsy Gibbs stopped the elevator. "How are you feeling?"

"I Am-No I will be fine, Gibbs."

Gibbs watched her slowly, not saying anything, looking into her eyes. She looked lost, scared-Not the Ziva Gibbs knew after somalia, and deffinantly not the Ziva he had known before that.

Ziva looked like she was about to crawl in a hole and die. Sure the team had put up a strong front, trying to act like things were mostly normal, but it wasn't the same.

"You sure, Ziver?" Gibbs watched her closely, Ziva was staring at the switch that would start the elevator.

Her voice came out softer then she had intended, she felt lost again, not sure if she would be safe for a moment even next to Gibbs.

She knew what they could do. Gibbs did not.

Ziva shook her head slightly at herself. _**How could you doubt him? He is Gibbs, you are safer with him then anyone in this whole building. Your safer here with the team, and so are Mina and Zachary.**_

The question was, Why didn't she believe herself?


	8. Jane Doe'

It was Eva's Fifteenth birthday.

It was her Fifteenth birthday and Eva was pregnant.

At Fifteen.

Ziva watched Eva's bump in shock, but not letting it show on her face.

How could Eva do something so stupid?

Ziva bit her lip and got back to painting the exterior of the house. The seventeen year old was wearing a pair of white shorts, and a cheap tank top, All of which belonged to Eva.

It was scorching, at least a hundred degree's outside. No one was home Except for Eva Ziva, Papouli (who was long since asleep) and Macey.

Ziva Climbed down the latter, accidentally getting a splinter in her hand.

As the young Israeli walked inside she carefully pulled it out, "Hey Ev do we have any lemonade?" Eva had gone in first after feeding the plants.

Eva nodded quickly "Check the porch"

"It is not there."

The blonde furrowed her brows, questioning her memory as she glanced outside, feeling insecure. "Huh.. I swear it was just-"

"I found it, it never left the fridge" Ziva sighed thankfully, she didn't want to have to make another visit to the stream due to the plumbing being out for the day because of a leak in the faucet.

Ziva poured a glass and downed it quickly, pouring Eva a glass and handing it to her shortly after, Ziva looked out at the sun as it began to hide under the hills.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you to get more music sheets for the piano Ev?" Eva looked at her as Ziva smiled softly.

_**Even when she's pregnant she still looks like the five year old she first met that day.**_

"No thank you Zi, I figured I would be quick, I already know what book I want"

Eva smiled brightly at Ziva, She knew her sister always enjoyed the more classical pieces, unlike herself.

Half an hour later Eva was carrying two new music books she had found on sale back home.

Not that Papouli didn't have money, but he raised them to be practical when it came to came.

_**Somethings were for the heart, some the body, others weren't needed.**_

Eva repeated in her head with a small smile. She loved Papouli like he were her own dad. Even though the fifteenth year old had never met her father, She knew he sent money for her.

Eva walked through the park.

America, Michigan, the lake always ruins things. On the day it's too hot and in the night it's colder then the Arctic.. Not that Eva knew. She couldn't see how Ziva could stand the Heat of Israel.

Of course when Eva thought of Israel the first thing that came to her mind was Egypt. Then the desert, not to mention Camels. Stereotypical.

Ziva never talks to Eva about Israel, or what her 'job' is that her father had given her-all she knew is Ziva was 'kick ass', but Eva was too shy to ask. Ziva felt something hit her back as she dropped the books, crying out slightly.

"Oh look! The whore can feel!" Two boys, maybe a year or two rattled on, getting her to back up against a tree. Her eyes were wide enough to look like a scared doe.

"Please don't hurt!" Eva stuttered out in English.

"What, do you not like it rough?" One of the men began to press up against her as she looked away, helpless, shaking.

The other man messed with the side braid that dangled down to the pocket of her Denim Jacket, "We can make you like it.." he began to growl lowly, slowly unbuttoning the top part to her jacket, Eva whimpered softly.

"Please just let me go.."

"Trust me, we don't intent to-FUCK!" The man fell over, having been hit in the side with a wooden plank as the man fell onto the floor.

The other man didn't have long enough to react as he was hit in the forehead with the same plank.

Eva's eyes were glued shut for a moment, Eventually she opened one eye, looking at who had stopped them.

* * *

Scruffy, Dirty brown hair-Ziva wanted badly to ruffle it the first second she saw it. Unnatural Green eyes-close to jades yet they had looked haunted, he had glasses, but it hadn't bothered Ziva the second she saw them, he was tan, and not the cheap i spend all day tanning by the pool. Working outside all day, maybe? He had muscles, but not enough to be into sports.

Ziva looked him up and down. He seemed refined, his shirt was loose, but not loose enough for her not to see his abs, but as if he didn't know he should show them off.

The way he carried himself was what caught her off guard.

He seemed haunted.

Lost, almost scared.

His eyes carried death with them.

Ziva walked up to the man Eva was standing next to and looked him straight in the eyes.

The man looked awkward, as if he didn't know what to do in most situations-uncertainty? Ziva liked that about him.

"Name?" Ziva barked out coldly, making the boy flinch, her gun was in her hand, just in case.

"Uhh-erm.. Cam." He stuttered, hesitating. Ziva could tell he was hiding something.

"I did not ask something to name a dog with, what is your name? First and last."

"Cameron, Cameron Lucas Mathews."

Ziva looked at Macey and Kolten. They both shrugged in a form of acceptance.

"Fine, you can stay. But ONLY because Eva needs someone to watch her back when I'm out of the country.."

Ziva's voice seemed full of authority, even though she wasn't the head of the household she knew Papouli was willing to take in people when the whole house agreed-he had no longer ran an orphanage.

* * *

Some time Early Spring - 2006

Ziva walked into the bullpen, still battling with her hair as she moved it over her shoulder. **Perfect.**

The Israeli paused. McGee and Tony were standing over her desk, looking at something. Walking closer she saw their acquired target and nearly cursed out loud.

There was a bouquet at her desk. Black Calla lilies-almost a dark purple and a larger arrangement of Dark red roses-as dark as they could possibly get naturally were sitting in a glass vase at her desk, a small box, matching the flowers lied next to it.

Bold Cameron, just bold.

Ziva walked up to her desk, setting her bag down "Do you see something interesting, Tony?" She raised her brows for a second, gently plucking a card off of the present, looking at it hesitantly before opening it.

_Zi- Happy birthday, I know you don't like us making a big deal about it. But don't worry. Tonight a 'perfect stranger' is going to come by at seven for dinner. Wear something nice._

_-Don't kill me yet, Cameron._

Ziva looked at it-a very very small chuckle escaping her lips as she put the card in her bag. He knew her well, almost too well.

McGee had walked back to his desk, Tony however was still looking at the flowers. "Does Miss Dah-veed have a date?"

Ziva looked at the flowers, smiling slightly before starting her computer "I believe it depends on who is asking"

* * *

The ride to Ziva's apartment had been short with the Israeli at the wheel. They had both barely made it to Ziva's apartment without touching.

The second the door shut he nearly slammed her against the wall, trailing his hands up her toned thigh as he picked her up slightly, balancing her against the wall as he kissed her hard-Ziva worked on taking his jacket off, nearly ripping at it as it fell onto the hallways cold wooden floor.

Ziva tugged on his lip as he groaned slowly, Ziva made it out of his arms as she took off his tie, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck she moved him towards the bedroom.

Ziva stopped at the bedroom's doorway, tugging off her jacket as she threw it into the living room, still kissing him heatedly. Ziva looked at him-mischief in her eyes as she pushed him into the door, Ziva took the sash off of her dress, dropping it carelessly as she kissed him again deeply, years of tension pouring out against them.

He raked his hands up her body, finding a spot against the outside of her thigh that had made her shiver softly.

Ziva pushed him into the room, taking off her dress and tossing it aside as he tossed his shirt aside.

He tugged off his pants as the young Israeli again moved him roughly onto the bed, climbing up from the bottom of the bed to kiss him again deeply she felt one strong arm wrap just near her shoulder blades, the other tangling in her hair.

Ziva pulled away slightly as she looked into Cameron's eyes, carefully taking off her bra and tossing it aside as the twenty three year old watched her body with something close to wonder, slowly trailing his hands up against her ribs, Cameron looked her in the eyes, "your so beautiful, Ziva.."

Cameron had begun to move when Ziva stopped him, kissing him again softly before getting more up against him, close to where he wanted her, slowly he pulled her closer to him "Buon compleanno.." ((happy birthday)) He whispered against her ear, before he moved so he was on top-an evil glint in his eyes for a second, knowing the tease would be extremely risky with Ziva. Slowly he began to pepper kisses down her toned body, headed for her center..

* * *

Ziva's head rested against Cameron's chest. She had only been up for a few minutes, the moon brightly through the curtains of her bedroom, but Ziva hadn't cared. Ziva moved her head again, listening to the steady heart beat coming from Cameron as she smiled softly and shut her eyes. **_I could stay like this_ forever..**

Ziva smiled again as she shut her eyes, the only movement in the entire house being Cameron and Ziva's steady breathing.

The young Israeli moaned softly. _**Saturdays, my favorite..**_

Ziva opened her eyes, nearly jumping enough to wake up the man sleeping in her bed with her-a long knock sounded at the door. An irritated one at that. Ziva sighed quickly and carefully untangled herself from her lovers arms as she pulled on a tanktop and pj's shorts, wrapping up in a short, close to silky robe as she walked out into the living room, checking who it was through the small glass hole in the door. **_Crap._ **Gibbs was outside her door, looking irately pissed.

Ziva chewed on her lip, praying silently that he wouldn't decide to go into her room. She opened the door, rubbing her eyes at the sudden intrusion of light. "Yes, Gibbs?"

"Where were you today?"

"Here, I am sorry Gibbs, i thought it was still Thursday.." Ziva frowned abit "I will not make that mistake again, I promise."

"Ziva, Again with apologies.." Gibbs shook his head, it had been a long day. One of the few that he could have actually used Ziva for. "Why didn't you answer the door when DiNozzo came by?"

Ziva yawned abit, seeming to oddly enough have problems waking up after oversleeping. "Tony came by? I must have been resting.."

"Zeeeeeeeeve" Cameron groaned from inside the bedroom "if you don't come back in i'm coming out to join you. Your not going for another run are you?"

Pinching her arm slightly Ziva bit the inside of her cheek, realization flashing through Gibbs' eyes "Oh, Company. It better have been worth it David. I suggest you come in on time next week, unless you don't want your job"

Ziva nodded slightly "I will be Gibbs, I promise.."

Gibbs nodded, leaving shortly after as Ziva shut the door, locking it as she sighed heavily, cursing in as many foreign languages as she could under one breath.

"Who was that babe?" Cameron came out, only wearing jeans.

"My boss.."

* * *

Ziva walked into autopsy with Gibbs at her side, Gibbs whispered something about going to Abby's lab in her ear as he said hello to Ducky, then left with a caf-pow in his hand. She looked around for a second, her eyes naturally moving over to Eva.

Ducky had ask how she was-she didn't even bother to answer, walking over to Eva's body she looked her up and down.

Ziva hadn't bothered to put on gloves, she looked down at her cousins body, half expecting her to open her eyes.

Ziva felt her ribs with her hands gently.

One.

Two.

Three broken ribs.

Five children and yet somehow Eva had no stretch marks on her skin.

Ziva walked around to the other side, she could feel Ducky's eyes on her.

Sighing slowly Ziva moved Eva's body so it was it a sitting position, she moved her long blonde locks off to the side, looking at her neck.

There was a faint scar across from her neck where Ziva had once ALMOST hit Eva, Ziva still hadn't forgiven herself for messing up that shot. Around it there was a vine covered in thorns, a small golden rose decorated the middle of the scar. Ziva had seen the tattoo the day she had gotten it, but she'd never seen it complete.

Ziva moved Eva back into the position she was in, looking back up at Ducky she tried to ignore the look in his eyes.

"Where are Mina and Zach?"

"Mina is with Abigail, however Zach.."

"Zach?"

"Zach is in the hospital still, they let you and Mina out of the hospital two days early do to some.. help seeing the light from gibbs.."

Ziva stopped for a minute "Hospital?"

"Yes, luckily for you your injuries were all external, compared to our Jane doe over here. Although you were on quiet alot of fluids for the time."

"She is not a Jane doe."

Ducky gave her a glance. "we couldn't find any information on her anywhere Ziva. Besides what you've told Gibbs about this young lady, she's almost never existed."

Ziva looked down at the body, not noticing a tear running down her cheek. "Did you guess her age?"

"Between 22-24 maybe?"

Ziva shook her head, breathing in her shakily "24 in march. We were born almost eleven months apart."

"What was her name?" Ducky asked, hearing the dog he had come to know as toby enter with Mina.

"Her name?" Ziva paused, feeling two small arms wrap around her leg securely as Ziva looked down at the small child. Carefully she picked her up, ignoring the pain in her body as she did so. _She was just glad the child was safe_. "Right," Ziva Sighed slightly, "Eva Astoria Sardonia. Although by birth she went by Ever Sardonia"

Ducky watched Ziva as Mina clung onto her.. If ducky couldn't see the obvious difference in the two he would almost think Mina was Ziva's child. Mina had the same hazel eyes, and the curls looked familiar, but nothing more then that. The small toddlers hair was blonde like Eva's. She was as pale as her mother too. However, whenever Ziva had looked at Jasmine her eyes softened dramatically-it was clear Ziva thought of the young girl close enough to be her own daughter.

The Israeli was too busy letting Mina play with one of her long curls to notice Ducky watching her as the toddler looked down at Eva. "Why Doesn't Mommy wake up?" Mina blurted out-her voice slurred due to her age. Jasmine rubbed her bandaged forehead in confusion.

"Because sweetie, she is with Uncle Kolt and Daddy." Ziva looked at Mina "but you still have Me, Aunt Macey, Uncle Cam and Zachary"

Mina Tilted her head "And you pwomise not to leave?" they have had this conversation twice now, each time with the same answer.

"I will do everything thing I can to never, EVER leave you alone."


	9. Kolten

_Cameron held a glass full of bourbon in his hand, as Kolten walked in, taking off his shirt to reveal his dark, cocoa colored skin._

_"It's burning outside. I Think even Zi would be uncomfortable with it."_

_Cameron took another drink of his bourbon, holding the glass up to his forehead. It was eighty degrees inside, with the a.c. and all of the fans running. He didn't want to bother thinking about what was going on outside._

_"We have a problem Kolten. .. And when i say problem, i mean global-fucking-crisis."_

_"Well then, whats gotten you all High school drama queen?"_

_"I haven't heard from Z' in at least two months." Cam took another drink of his bourbon. He was always bad when it came to worrying about his girls._

_"Oh, last i heard was some Mission in Somalia." Kolten seemed too calm about it, it was beginning to piss off the already hormonal-like-a-teenage-drama-queen Cameron._

_"How long will she be?" Cameron groaned, he wanted his girl._

_"Beats me."_

_"We should call her work."_

_"You know we can't do that, even if she'd died she would threaten to come back and haunt us until we cried like little girls. Even though it looks like your not far from doing so.."_

* * *

Gibbs was letting Jasmine And Ziva stay at his place until they had both completely healed, cuts, bruises and all. The truth was was that he wanted-no he needed to make sure Ziva would be okay.

The idea of possibly losing another 'kid' had made Gibbs almost lose it right there.

Mina had fallen asleep listening to Ziva read her a story in french, like Eva had.

Even though Mina didn't know much French it had always soothed her into sleep.

Isabella used to read her Peter Pan in French when Eva was at the hospital, watching after her big brother and sister.

Ziva had put her to sleep, Gibbs stopping her from straining her still weak body as he helped carry Mina upstairs, both of them tucking the two year old into Kelly's old bed.

Ziva had sighed slowly around the time she had made her way back to the living room and began pacing the floor.

Gibbs came downstairs, looking at her. "Are you alright, Ziver?"

Ziva hadn't looked at him for a few minutes, but she had stopped pacing, looking at him in the eyes.

Eventually she breathed in "I will be fine, Gibbs."

"That doesn't answer my question, Ziva."

Ziva looked at him, she seemed almost scared for a moment "I Am just thinking of an old friend."

Gibbs sat down on the couch, nodding for her to do the same. "What kind of friend?"

"I do not think you would lik-"

Ziva was interrupted by the look in Gibbs' eyes. Sighing slowly she shut her eyes "A dead friend."

"Eva?"

"No." Ziva shook her head.

Ziva didn't want to tell anyone about it.

She wanted to bury it.

In the end she hadn't deserved his help, or Gibbs's help. So why?

Why were they so willing to help her?

* * *

_Kolten watched as Ziva packed her bag, only making enough for the weekend, remember to get an extra change of clothes for Ifa and whoever might be with Eva._

_Ziva had always refused to give up when it came to family._

_Kolten had always known what Ziva did, maybe not exactly. But he had seen the way she was. _

_Sleeping with a gun._

_The way she could make her way across a trap untouched._

_Or how well trained; Ziva could easily take down anyone in their small little family._

_Kolten watched the 25 year old as she packed her bag._

_"I will be taking Cameron with me for back up." She said in front of Macey, Cameron, and himself._

_"No, don't. I'll go with you." Kolten suddenly offered._

_In the pit of his stomach he knew he wouldn't come back._

_But the way Cameron had looked at Ziva when they were at Eva's wedding.._

_It was like there was something that remained unsaid in between them._

_Love, fear, hope, When he watched Cameron and Ziva it led him to be in awe._

_Yes, Cameron had his moments when he had acted more Emotional then Eva._

_But the way Ziva looked when he came into a room, or talked to her._

_Ziva's eyes would light up in happiness, she would sometimes look like he was the only person on earth._

_But Kolten had a feeling in his stomach, one so close to despair, his gut had said anyone with her would not return._

_But if some crazed chance Ziva did return, he wanted her to be happy; __Happy with Cameron._

_He hadn't cared about his own happiness when he saw him with her. Nor did he care about Macey's._

_Ziva needed him._

_There was so much unsaid between them._

_"Fine Kolten, you can come. Just don't fall behind."_

* * *

_**It's like your screaming**_

Kolten and Ziva had gotten to Italy, renting a hotel room not far from where Eva's mailing address had been. Kolten and Ziva would both share the small bed as the couch was too dirty for either of them to be willing to sleep on, much less touch.

Kolten had fallen asleep first as they lied there, spooning to adjust the small twin sized bed without falling off. Kolten's strong arm was at Ziva's small waist out of Kolten's own habit of doing so when he held Macey in his sleep-Ziva hadn't minded it much.

When Ziva woke up she smelt eggs, and toast cooking in the 'kitchen'.

They both ate before they headed out. Getting a small truck for transportation.

_**And no one can hear**_

They had stopped and pulled the car over into the woods just a few minutes away from the house, if something bad had happened he hadn't wanted them to see them before she was found,.

Kolten and Ziva walked through the woods quietly, it was getting dark out.

They had decided that Ziva would act as though she her car had broken down and she couldn't find a way back into town if Eva wasn't the one to answer the door.

If a stranger answered the door Kolten would find a way to creep in through the back and search the house while Ziva distracted whoever might come.

_**Your almost ashamed**_

Ziva gave the front door to the huge three story house as she waited for an answer.

A man probably in his early thirties with black hair, pale skin, and the bluest eyes Ziva had ever seen opened the door. "Hello?"

"Hi, uhh my car broke down a few miles away from here. I was wondering if I could wait here until the storm passes.." Ziva nodded towards the rain that had just been starting to fall.

"Sure, come on in Ma'am" He said, a dark look suddenly flashing through his eyes. Ziva wanted in that moment to shoot him but she kept up the act and walked inside.

_**That someone could be that important to you**_

Ziva walked into the living room, looking around "You have a nice house.."

"Thanks Ma'am." Ziva glanced back at him "Have you lived here long?"

Kolten walked into the back yard once he was sure Ziva would distract the man.

Kolten grabbed the wire on the top of the door and opened the screen door, it didn't make a sound. Trying the back door he cursed under his breath, _locked._

The tall man walked around, looking for a window then he got an idea and slammed the screen door.

_**That without them**_

Inside Ziva was sitting down, watching the blue-eyed man with curiosity. She jumped when she had heard the noise "What was that?" Acting scared Ziva stood up, looking around.

"It was probably just the wind, I'll go check.." The man wandered off towards the kitchen to get to the back door as Kolten slipped in through the front. Ziva nodded towards the kitchen as Kolten nodded and went into a random room.

_**You feel like nothing**_

Ziva smiled brightly up at the man as he came back "Just the wind?"

He nodded, "Can i get you anything to drink?"

Ziva's gut lurched forward "No thank you, I'm not thirsty, but thank you for the offer."

"Nonsense you must be thirsty after the long walk."

"It was not that long, really."

_**No one will understand**_

Kolten found his way into the basement some how, he heard noises in the room, muffled cries and begging noises. Kolten went in and went wide eyed at the sight before him.

Eva was naked, hanging up against the wall by some hook, completely exposed. Kolten panicked

Walking up to her she suddenly went wide eyed, shock flowing through her eyes.

Eva looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks, the two babies and Isabella had looked somewhat healthy.

_**How much it hurts**_

Kolten cut the binds that were holding her up as he caught her mind fall "Shh.." His voice soothed as he removed the gag made from cloth that kept her from speaking.

"Kids.." She whimpered out just under her breath.

"Do not worry E, Zach and Mina are with their big sister Isabella."

_**You Feel Hopeless**_

Eva whimpered again softly, she was in so much pain, her torso was covered in scars and bruises, there was a bullet in her left calve, her once seen as beautiful legs were littered in burn marks.

"Ella.. Dustin.."

"They're not here, ill find them but i need to get you out to safety." Kolten had gotten the Oldest daughter to help the twins get outside. Kolten carried Eva as they silently made their way out to the car

_**But nothing can save you**_

Ziva's gut squirmed when she saw Kolten walk into the woods with a mostly bare Eva and her children. Kolten had wrapped his Jacket around Eva, but she was bleeding out, eventually the young man picked her up in his arm and kept carrying her.

"You know what? I should go, I don't want to be a burden, and my husband is probably out at the car waiting for me." Ziva rushed out of the house.

She needed to help Eva.

She needed to help Eva and then she would torture the sick bastard that did this to her cousin until he cried like a baby.

Then she would leave him somewhere to rot and starve to death.

Somewhere no one could find him.

Ziva had to try her best not to launch herself at the man before she left. She quickly met up with Kolten, picking up the twins as they got everyone in the car.

Eva sat in the passenger seat. Ziva, Isabella and the young twins sat in the back space of the truck on the way back.

_**And when it's over, and it's gone**_

When they had gotten to the hotel Ziva had immediately taken to cleaning Eva up. Cleaning off her wounds gently.

Ziva had gotten the bullet out no problem with Kolten's help.

When Kolten pulled it out Ziva was the one that had let Eva sob into her shoulder, smoothing out Eva's dirty, tangled blonde hair as Ziva made small reassurances that she would be okay, that they would go home.

Eva fell asleep on the bed shortly after Kolten gave her the O.K. to. The kids, Kolten, and Ziva all slept on the floor.

_**You almost wish that you could have all that bad stuff back,**_

Ziva had awoken with a start, looking around as she heard the door open, grabbing her gun she looked around, Eva was still in bed. Kolten and the others had been lying asleep, Mina's head on her stomach.

She looked up at the same man she had seen only minutes ago. He was holding a gun.

Ziva barely had time to react as a bullet flew through the air. The bullet had made a loud enough noise to wake the once heavy-sleeping kids. Ziva glanced over towards where she had seen it off as she nearly puked.

She had known Kolten for over 16 years. They weren't even six months apart. But now he was lying, his eyes still asleep on the ground, a bullet clean through his head.

The young Israeli only struggled for a second as a strong arm covered Ziva's mouth with a white cloth soaked in Chloroform

_**So you could have the good.**_

When Ziva had awoken she was still in her pajama top and shorts she had been in.

Her wrists were bound up against the wall, letting her hang there, she was hardly able to touch the ground with her toes.

Ziva had only seconds to look around and see Eva hanging up next to her-not moving, Out of nowhere a whip slammed into her back as Ziva let out a unexpected sharp cry.

* * *

"I Don't Even think He was buried." Ziva whispered under her breath, She had left out the part where she had woken up in the basement.

Gibbs watched her, he was silent the entire time she had told him about Kolten. Ziva, much despite her own efforts had been reduced to slow tears around the time she described the man that had let her in.

She had begun to cry openly when she remembered how hurt, and torn Eva looked while she was still breathing.

When the sobs had subsided Ziva finally felt like a child for crying, but Despite that she was still more tired then she had thought.

Gibbs hadn't gotten a description of the third man until now. And it had left Ziva wrecked, he wouldn't push her to tell until she was completely ready.

Eventually, after crying for so long Ziva had fallen asleep, Gibbs' arm wrapped protectively around her. Ziva had almost mistaken him as her father for a moment.

There was only one time though, that Eli David had given his daughter such comfort.

Gibbs watched her as she slept, mentally questioning whoever could do such a thing. Yes, he had seen so many things over the years, but things still did cause him shock.

Gibbs couldn't stop staring at the bruise on Ziva's cheek.

Throughout the day he had seen almost everyone stare at it with curiosity of how it had gotten there.

The swelling had gone down dramatically sense he had first seen her. She could now open her right eye with it looking normal. But the bruise was still covering the most of her cheek.

Eventually he had gotten her upstairs into the guest bedroom, laying her down to let her sleep comfortably.

* * *

Gibbs was already awake, showered and dressed for work as he worked on his boat when he had finally heard a stir from upstairs.

Ziva woke up, lifting her head almost expecting to either be in chains, or be in Cameron's snoring arms.

She felt empty-lost.

_**She wished this was all a nightmare.**_

Ziva sighed and checked on Mina before she went and took a shower, deciding to finally get rid off the too long mess of locks, trimming her hair down to where it fell naturally.

Getting dressed Ziva checked up on Mina yet again as Gibbs came upstairs.

"She is still asleep."

"She deserves it, We can wait until she wakes up."

Ziva nodded slightly, lost in though of what might happen. She couldn't help it anymore, looking over at him she breathed in slowly "Why didn't you kill me?"

* * *

A/N: Tiva Tiva Tiva crack coming soon. Also small mention of McAbby. Might not update for a small while however.


	10. Rain

Cameron had grabbed the daisy's Ifa had picked as the young man and Ziva walked across the bridge.

Ziva had looked at him confused as he stopped, her voice was soft-hushed. "Is something wrong Cam?"

She had only been back from Somalia a week and already they had gotten back to their crazy banters and long awaited heated moments.

Cameron looked at her, making a why not face as he tossed the flowers over the bridge.

"Here lies Ziva David. Aunt, Daughter, Sister.. Amazing lover" Cameron paused, only being rewarded with a smack to the arm and a "I will kill you slowly" after the lover comment.

Ziva looking more confused then ever at what was going on. Eva, Kolten and Macey walked up to them as Kolten took over.

"She was one Kick Ass Chick, but she was also-" "Caring, More loyal then anyone I have ever met. Passionate, but stern when the need called for it" Eva interrupted calmly.

"She was strong-always kept cool when something bad had happened." Macey interjected, smiling welcomingly at Ziva.

"She was sweet, adorable at times even. Sexy as hell.." Cameron went on again, stressing the fact as she rolled her eyes.

Ziva felt a small pool of Emotions whir inside of her. She still had no idea what was going on.

But the things they had said to her.. Ziva knew America was her home. Trying hard not to make a big show of what was going on Ziva wiped a small tear from her eye, watching them as Eva walked next to her, grabbing her hand.

"Let her rest in peace, So the new Ziva can move forward"

* * *

Ziva smiled softly up at Cameron and cuddled closer up against him.

He was still the "Geek" She had grown to love.

Of course over time he had grown to appeal to Ziva more. Even though he and Ziva didn't plan on messing around any time soon.

The only thing that separated the almost-couple was Ziva's tank top and shorts and Cameron's boxers. Ziva snuggled closer to him, resting her head against his chest.

Ziva smiled softly as she felt his hand stroke the rumpled mess of curls that had awaited him.

"Good Morning, My love.." Ziva held back a small fit of giggles as she got on top of him.

Cameron Grunted slightly in reply.

Ziva smiled at him, the sun was pouring into the room through the red curtains of Cameron's room.

Over the years after Bella and 'Papouli's death things had changed in the house hold of Five. What was once a small family had become larger. At least Eight people lived in the house full-time now.

Cameron.

Dustin.

Ella.

Eva.

Isabella.

Jessica.

Kolten.

Macey.

And Sometimes Ziva. Although after Somalia Ziva had been spending her nights more and more frequently with Cameron or Eva.

She really didn't mean to.

With Eva they would just talk, like they used to when they were little. In fact, they would spend so long talking that either Eva or Ziva would eventually get tired enough to fall asleep.

Usually Eva fell asleep first, Ziva would find herself staring at the ceiling, eventually falling asleep next to her cousin.

Then the next day Ziva would feel Eva's cat flicking it's long, gray, fluffy tail back and fourth against her shoulder when she would wake up.

Sometimes she would make the cat get off of the huge queen sized blue bed. On others she'd just let it sit there while she lied in her cousin's bed, thinking about the team.

Ziva smiled softly and looked up at Cameron.

Part of Ziva felt so.. not Ziva when she was with him.

She smiled more, kissing him gently-it was almost as though Mossad wasn't a part of her life-at all when she was with the others, but most of all she was different.

When the door to his bedroom was closed, and they were finally alone at night she felt so.. fragile? No that wasn't the word. She could never place it, but she had just felt completely different then how she had felt with the team, or at Mossad.

* * *

Tony looked as Gibbs walked out of Ziva's hospital room, the doctors had expressed that only one person would go in at a time.

Just after he had time to breathe, everyone suddenly crowded around him.

"how is she?" Abby was the first one to ask the question-teary eyed.

McGee stood by her, being her rock as her watched Gibbs.

Gibbs looked around, walking with them over to Ducky and Tony.

"Well, The doctors ran.. tests to look for HIV's or any other.. Disease she might have contracted, Most of the Damage done to her body was external, she did have a broken rib or two but it seems that they have healed on their own-She's severely dehydrated. The doctors don't think she's eaten in a while. However the Doctors also think most of the cuts on her body won't heal."

Abby and McGee's gut twisted.

"Will she be okay?" Abby's voice seemed to crack.

Gibbs looked at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as she leaned into him.

"She should be fine Abs, She'll pull through, this is Ziva."

Tony watched him "Hey uhh.. Boss, Can I have a moment with Ziva?"

"Make it quick DiNozzo."

Anthony DiNozzo nodded quickly, going into the hospital room.

What he saw there had nearly broken his heart.

His Partner-No his close friend, was laying on the hospital bed.

She looked so broken.

Gently he pulled the sheets of the hospital bed over her beaten, tired legs.

* * *

Ziva smiled up at the green house Ziva had known as her own home.

Nothing like Mossad.

Nothing that reminded her of her loss.

Tali

Ari

No, not even her mom.

What Ziva had was her own home in America.

Her home that her work had nothing to do with.

Ziva sneezed slightly. Work was longer then normal today at NCIS. It had left her so tired she forgot to grab her umbrella after she had grabbed her car keys, bag and coat.

The rain kept pelting down around her, Ziva found shelter for a moment under a huge oak tree, by the tire swing Papouli had put up before the crash for Isabella.

All of the lights in the house were on.

Ziva held the small box she had been keeping held to her chest up to her eyes for a second as she smiled and ran up the porch.

Ziva quickly went through the screen door, passing the small, mini hall as she went through the actual front door itself.

Smiling at herself Ziva took off her scarf, setting down the present for Ifa as she began to undo the belt to one of her many favorite jackets.

"I am home!" She hollered slightly, beginning to take off her jacket, her hair soaked.

At first there was a loud commotion upstairs, Both Kolten, Cameron, Macey and Isabella were running down the stairs 'fur flying' as they tried to see who could make it to the bottom first and greet there long awaited friend.

They all clearly let Ifa win.

Ziva ignored the camera Kolten was holding as she hung up her jacket, a six year old Isabella was jumping up and down waiting for Ziva to turn to her.

The second she did Ifa made a very loud "YAY!" That could be heard throughout the whole entire house as Ifa hugged her as tight as she could.

Ziva smiled warmly and picked her up.

"_Ca Va_?" Ziva smiled, talking in french so the little girl wouldn't have to stress translation.

Ifa nodded putting a thumb up in the air with a bright smile.

This was normal for them.

Isabella didn't like to talk-she hated talking, she would yell, and giggle and scream, but it was rare to hear Ifa say a word.

Smiling softly, Ziva set Ifa down on the floor

"Où e-" Ziva was interrupted by a loud squealing noise.

Eva ran out of the kitchen, wrapping her arms around her cousin.

Eva looked like an excited puppy, bouncing up and down with her curls following her movements "How are you! I thought you weren't returning until next weekend!"

Ziva chuckled a bit "I had said that last week."

Eva frowned "Oh. .. your hair is soaked Zi! Showerrr!" She went on quickly, pushing her towards the bathroom connected to the kitchen.

* * *

Ziva looked at Gibbs, her hazel eyes pouring the question she had asked only minutes ago into Gibbs's

"Why didn't I what?"

"Why did you not kill me?"

"Ziver.." Gibbs sighed heavily, looking at the young Israeli.

He was lost for words, After a long pause he looked at Ziva, her posture was the same.

"How could I, Ziva?" He walked up to her

Ziva hesitated and then shook her head suddenly, looking to the ground "I am sorry.."

Gibbs watched her, wrapping his strong arms around her as he looked at her "Don't you ever think like that again, kid."

Ziva nodded slightly, looking away.

Out of no where Mina ran downstairs, her tangled blonde hair bouncing in the air as she went into the basement, attaching her arms around Ziva's leg.

"Mommy?" Mina looked up her with big, blue eyes-Ziva tried her best to shove away the sudden need to say ''no, I'm Ziva''.

Ziva almost chuckled for a second as she picked the almost-three year old up "Yes, Mina?"

"Can i get a dolly like the one mommy had?"

Ziva's mouth hung open slightly for a second "Well.. I think I can do even better"

"How?"

"Do you WANT the doll Eva had?"

Mina nodded.

"Promise you will never break it or get rid of it? It would make Eva sad if you did, she loved it."

The young girl nodded again, "Pwomise"

Ziva smiled, content "Alright, we will find your doll" Poking Mina's nose Ziva sat her down carefully.

"But for now lets get you breakfast" Gibbs interrupted as Ziva smiled gratefully.

Gibbs was slightly shocked at the interaction between Mina and his Ziver. He had known Ziva was good with kids, even seen it once or twice, but the way Ziva treated Mina was as if Ziva could never say no to her.

That morning went by longer then usual. Ziva helped Mina clean up and had gotten her some of the new things the team had gotten together for Mina and Zachary, that was when she had brought it up.

"When do we go back to the hospital?" Mina said in her little kid voice.

"I do not know, why?"

"I miss brother."

Ziva's heart sank slightly "Well, I'm sure you'll see him soon princess."

"Really?" Mina's face lit up, Ziva just nodded simply.

"Now, lets get ready to go, okay?"

Mina raced downstairs her ponytail flying as she put on her new shoes, struggling a bit with the tie's, which Ziva had helped her with that day, showing her how to do it on her own.

In a matter of half an hour Gibbs was carrying Mina (much to Ziva's objections of her being able to carry the young girl) out to the car with Ziva following at his side.

When they had gotten to the Navy yard Ziva had no idea the day that was coming up for both her and the little girl.

* * *

A/N: This chapter felt shorter then normal-ish, and there wasn't really any Tiva :/ :O Just wait though, I plan on updating tonight with the next chapter, there will be lots of Tiva, and fluff, lots and lots of heart warming fluff =3

Devorah13 and HAZMOT thank you for the great reviews, and P.S. Ifa isn't out of the story yet, she's coming to meet her family sooner then people think. .. and the relationship of Cam/Ziva is about to be explained, thoroughly.


	11. Ifa

A/N: Supernatural. Making the impala THAT MUCH hotter since 2005 ;P lol.  
And just to be clear for people who might get confused.  
Papouli = Adam  
Bella = Adam's wife  
Ima = Mom  
Abba = Dad  
Toby = Mina & Ziva's dog  
Isabella = Ifa (Ziva's Nickname she gave her)  
Jasmine = Mina (Another nickname-given to by Eva)

_Gibbs entered the bullpen, staring at Ziva David's empty desk for the fourth time this week._

_Setting his coffee cup down on his desk he looked at Tony._

_"DiNozzo, where is your partner?"_

_"I asked Vance already. He said she was taking personal time off boss."_

_Gibbs got up and trekked his way up to the directors office._

_Ignoring Vance's assistant, Gibbs walked into his office "Why's David gone Leon?"_

_"Agent David has requested personal time." Leon sighed, it was useless to scuffle. He pulled out a sheet of paper with an address printed on it._

_"Don't tell David I gave you this. If she isn't there i was told to have you ask for a girl named Eva, and Gibbs," Vance looked him in the eyes "Don't ask her to come back yet. She needs to grieve, whether she says she's fine or not."_

_Gibbs watched Leon leave his office.  
_

Ziva looked across the bullpen at Tony, Mina was sitting on Ziva's lap, and the small child had brought Toby with them today.

Ziva hadn't had anything to do for the past thirty minutes, still being practically glued to the desk by Gibbs.

She had even offered to do McGee's paperwork for the day.

Tony finished up the game he was playing.

There was absolutely nothing going on today, or at least nothing Gibbs felt comfortable

pursuing today. He had even told Tony he could continue with the game when he had caught him playing it red handed.

Ziva huffed a bit and stood up "Alright, I'm bored out of my mind!" Gibbs looked up at her as she continued "I am going to go and get smoothies for me and Jasmine, does anyone want something?"

Tony shot up, seconds after Gibbs gave him the 'get-out-of-here' look "I'll go with you Zi"

Ziva hesitated then nodded slightly.

_**So much for finally taking time to see Macey.**_

Ziva was coming back from the cafe she had gone to to get her smoothie, she had decided to drive, despite what Tony had expected Ziva kept within the speed limits, not wanting to freak Mina out.

Ziva hadn't even realized what she was doing when it happened.

_**Blue-The Jenkins house.**_

_**Red – The Carpenters "Vacation home"**_

Ziva pulled up to the pale green house with a tire on a tree in the front yard, getting out she picked up Mina, going inside as Tony followed her.

"Zee-vah" He walked up to her "What are we doing?"

Ziva didn't answer, she just stared at the crack in the glass.

_**They would've replaced the door by now.**_

"Papouli always said the front door gave the first impression.." Ziva mumbled, without realizing as she pulled a key from under the mat, getting into the house as she froze.

"Zii are you sure this is legal?" Tony followed after her, looking at the dust filled living room, the first thing he had seen was a dusty, black grand piano.

**The first thing Ziva David had expected was the fluffy fat gray cat to come bounding down the stairs to meet her.**

Ziva had always had a soft spot for animals and young kids- "Sergeant Pepper" Wasn't any different.

**Then she expected the warm smell of Cinnamon to hit her like a smack in the face.**

**She had expected-even though it would never happen again-for Eva or Ifa to beg until they got a hug from her.**

**She had expected Cam to give her a kiss sometimes as she tried to make her way to the kitchen.**

**She had expected to see Eva's latest project, whether it was a cake, a pie, or cookies to be on the table.**

Ziva hadn't smelt whatever had died in the house as she walked over to the shattered TV in the living room, ejecting the DVD that had last been playing after blowing the dust off of the player, carefully she put it back in the dusty case as she gave it to Mina to hold onto.

Tony watched her, looking around, the first thing he saw were the shattered pictures on the wall.

One in particular caught his attention.

_Eva, Macey and Ziva smiled as they looked into the camera on Eva's wedding day. Ifa was in the picture, but the young girl hadn't been paying any attention to what was going on. Ziva's dark blue floor length dress blew in the wind a bit as she smiled. Macey was wearing a dress similar to Ziva's, except it was much shorter, and dark red. They all tried hard not to laugh as Eva's cat, Pepper, leaped into Eva's open arms just as the camera clicked._

Tony looked at the picture curiously as Ziva walked over to the fireplace, opening the screen.

"No one has been in for a while" She stated simply, trying to avoid the mess of blood. Even Macey would have cleaned it up, and being honest, Macey was sloppy.

Ziva headed up the first four stairs getting to the small spot where she turned to get to the lounge the boys had as she cursed out in surprise, covering Mina's eyes.

"Dead Cat." Ziva sighed and walked past the cat. She was just happy bugs hadn't gotten to it.

Ziva walked upstairs, looking in each of the rooms, Macey and Kolten's very violently black colored room was empty, but she could tell it had been used recently.

Cameron's room had been used recently as well, the white sheets rumpled near the pillows. A bottle of Bourbon was on the pillow, empty.

Ziva walked into Eva and Ziva's room and froze.

_Ziva and Eva were walking into their room they'd share for the first time. Eva smiled slightly and sat her suitcase down on the purple bed._

_Ziva just froze, frowning._

_"What's wrong Sis?" Eva looked at Ziva concerned._

_"It's too pink."_

_Eva held her very growing pregnant belly as she burst out in a fit of giggles, patting Ziva's shoulder before making her way back down into the kitchen for some food from Bella._

_Ziva sighed slowly. "There has to be a way to change THIS!" She waved her arms around the room as she set her case down on a green bed._

Dust covered the walls, and about every wooden, metal and plastic object in the room, there was no way she would even have considered letting Ifa sleep in here with her allergies.

Ziva walked up to the queen bed that sat prominently in the middle of the room, Mina immediately perked up, reaching out for the small porcelain doll that Eva had kept all these years.

Ziva smiled slightly and picked it up, putting it in a box with the DVD Case as she walked downstairs, looking at Tony "Can you get the other DVD's on the coffee table?"

Tony nodded, grabbing them "Should I call Gibbs?"

"NO. I'll have the cat buried, if there is another body however, then we can call in.."

Ziva looked around the rest of the house, finding nothing.

* * *

"_Zi, does my assassin have anything to tell our Cameron jr?" Cameron questioned as Ziva laughed a bit, trying hard to keep her eyes on the road._

"_If your father does not shove a cork in it Ima is going to-" Ziva stopped talking, letting the music continue to play as she watched the road "Mom loves your dad, but if he seriously does NOT shut up.."_

"_Alright alright, I get it." Cameron waited until Ziva approached a turn to kiss her. _

"_How does my Mr. Two-Month's old feel today?"_

"_Our child feels better then the day before. We do not know if it is a boy or a girl yet"_

_Cameron chuckled as Ziva took a left. "My bets on a boy"_

_"Of course it is Cameron." Ziva kept driving, keeping within the speed limits as she came to a stop, out of no where the car behind her slammed into the back of her car. Ziva jumped and cursed loudly, beginning to take another turn and drive down a road._

"_It's just Friday." Cameron went on, he hated it when Ziva had begun to get jumpy, something always seemed so ghost like about it._

"_If that ass hole ruined our car I'm going to-" Ziva stopped, looking through the rear view mirror. Ziva didn't even have time to react as a car slammed into the side of the car._

* * *

"_Ziva! Come on and tell us what it is!" Eva stood outside the bathroom door, Macey was recording. Both Kolten and Cameron where at work._

"_It has not finished yet!" Ziva stood behind the locked door as she glanced down at the test, busy fixing her hair._

_Eva groaned dramatically "how about now!" Ziva sighed slowly, looking at the test as she unlocked the door. _

"_One pink line. Just as you said." Ziva waved it in the air before tossing it away in the trash._

_Eva started freaking out, squealing as she bounced up and down._

"_Wow, it looks like I WILL be the only hot aunt with no children after all." Macey grinned, spinning around in a small circle as she shut off the camera._

* * *

_Macey rushed up to Eva's side with Kolten. "How is she?"_

"_Cameron is fine."_

"And Ziva?"

_Eva looked at the floor._

"_And Ziva?" _

_**Not good.**_

_Eva looked up at Macey "She lost it."_

_Macey just stared, blinking for a second then sighed "Oh.."_

_Kolten patted Macey's shoulder slightly, kissing her. "Two Aunts with no kids are better anyways Mace'"_

_Macey looked up at him and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. The entire room fell silent._

* * *

_Ifa had woken a twenty two year old Ziva up while she tried to play piano._

_Ifa looked up at her "Sor"_

_Ziva just smiled, and sat down by her. "Do you want me to teach you?"_

_Isabella nodded. Ziva smiled softly at her and began to play, going over and over and over it with the young girl until Isabella could play her favorite song backwards._

_Macey, Cameron and Eva eventually came downstairs. Kolten was still filming Ziva and Ifa._

_Ziva had continued playing most of the Morning, willing to be late so Isabella was sure she'd remember the song._

* * *

_Ziva was sitting on the couch-staring at the fire-her eyes were void of any emotion._

_The make-up that she had tried to get in a rush to attempt to get to work now streamed down her cheeks._

_Cameron was sitting by her, rubbing her back. _

_Ziva only tried to ignore it. _

_Ifa was on the floor, playing with a train set Kolten bought._

_Kolten walked into the room, handing Ziva a glass of bourbon, she looked at the liquid in question._

"_It's bourbon, it'll help-oh careful it's strong.." He watched as Ziva began to drink it down without another word._

_Ziva pulled the blanket that was resting over her closer to her as Kolten was the one to let her rest into him, giving her comfort._

_Comfort she had refused from Cameron._

_Macey came downstairs and sat on the chair Papouli once sat on. "Can we talk, alone?" Macey directed her eyes only to Ziva's as the young Israeli nodded, moving the blanket off of her shoulders as Macey and Ziva went upstairs, stopping at the second to last stair case Macey turned around to Ziva and hit her arm lightly._

"_'The HELL is wrong with you?" Macey's voice was hushed, however she doubted that Cameron and Kolten couldn't hear them. "Cameron wants to be there for you. You NEED him right now. And he needs you two. Your not the only one that lost a kid Zi."_

_"I Do not want to talk about it."_

_"I don't care! Then you can listen to me! Either get your shit straight, or tell Cameron to quit trying."_

_"I have already."_

_Macey blinked. "What?"_

_"I Told him to leave me alone."_

_Macey looked at her, her brown eyes softening intensely as she looked at the Israeli "Ziva no no no that's not good.."_

_"It is what he and I both need, space." _

_"Has your dad said anything?"_

_"He has not..written back.."_

_Macey was about to say something, but then they were interrupted by a loud knock at the front door._

_Eva walked up to it and answered it "Yes?"_

_The could wind blew in on everyone, Ziva was glad she was wearing her favorite gray sweater._

_Ziva quietly wiped the last of her ruined makeup away with her hand._

_"Agent Tim McGee, this is my boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs. We are looking for Ziva David, is she here?"_

_Ziva sighed slowly, grabbing her boots from upstairs as she put them on, Macey followed her._

_"It depends on who's asking."_

_"NCIS." Gibbs flashed his badge through the small crack on the door, the ball chain lock still on the door-thankfully._

_Ziva walked downstairs. Isabella walked up to her, big hazel eyes shining back at Ziva's_

_"Is aunt Zi-Zi going away?" Ifa began to look worried._

_"No sweetie, I'm just going out for abit, okay?" Ziva looked at her, her voice was softer then normal when she talked to her niece._

_Isabella nodded._

_"No, she's not-"_

_"Yes I am." Ziva sighed slowly, shutting the door to undo the lock as she went outside._

_"Sorry I took so long."_

_"Where the hell have you been, David?"_

_Ziva slipped past him "I needed to go away."_

_"Ziver.."_

_"I do not want to talk about it Gibbs. Bad things happen, and then Life moves on."_

* * *

_Ziva, Macey and Eva had just taken their baths. Macey's hair hung loosely above her shoulders, but both Eva's and Ziva's were braided back._

_A five year old Ziva ran out with the small group as she jumped up on Adams lap._

_Immediately Papouli Took this action as a starting trigger to set down his cigar and pick up the child's book he had been reading the night before._

"_Robbin hood.." he had begun to read, keeping it up for at least an hour. Eventually a three year old Eva had fallen asleep with her head on Macey's lap, and Macey had fallen asleep with her head against the couches side._

_Adam kept reading, to the point Ziva's eyes had grown heavy. _

_Eventually Bella and Adam have gotten all three kids into bed, Bella was coming downstairs just as Adams arms went around her waist._

"_You look so beautiful tonight, My love."_

Bella smiled softly and shut her eyes.

"_I love you Adam."_

"I love you too."

Bella smiled and turned around, kissing his cheek, "Are you sure we can't adopt her? I mean her father is going through such a hard time right now.."

"No, my Belle, we cannot."

"I just wish there was some other way we could help.." Bella sighed slowly, kissing the silver haired man one more time before they led each other into their bedroom, the only one on the first floor of the house.

* * *

_The room was dark. The basement in Italy was Dark_

_Eva's husband looked into the camera- the most of his face was covered by a ski mask _

"_This is for you, Cameron." His eyes were deranged, an Unnatural blue that looked as cold as ice could get, slowly the man set it down on a high up shelf as he walked over to _

_Ziva and cut her binds, the young Israeli fell to the floor._

_Eva was chained to a chair, hardly moving enough to breathe._

_The man left the room. _

_Ziva laid out on the floor for several minutes before she began to move, her shaky frame struggling to support herself._

"_Ifa, Ifa can you move?" _

_The young body in the corner by the eighteen month old twins nodded slightly "It hurts though.."_

_Ziva hesitated then nodded a bit, sitting up slowly, a car was heard in the background._

"_Try to stand, Isabella." _

_Ziva crawled over to her slightly, she was barely clothed, her tank top long since torn to almost shreds around her stomach, her pajama shorts that she had worn the night they caught her were covered in dirt, torn in a few spots too._

_Isabella stood up on shaky legs, Ziva took off her Star of David necklace, putting it on the girls neck._

_There was a long pause of silence, Ziva was waiting to make sure no one was in the house. "I think they've gone."_

"_Take Zach, make a run for the woods, only drink water if your sure it's clean, avoid berries." Ziva fixed the necklace she had just put around her neck. "Keep close to him at night, make sure you can keep warm, do not burn a fire, once you find a road, follow it. It will lead you to a town. Try to get help. People to come back, or to get you to America, if you get to America I need you to find Cameron, tell him we need help, alright?" Ziva's voice was scared, but reassuring, Ifa nodded and picked up Zachary carefully._

"_Why can't I take Mina, too?"_

"_It is too much to carry, I will help your mom get out with Mina, and she will find you I promise." Ziva looked around. The door was locked, and the windows were barred. _

_Ziva grabbed a small rock and shattered one of the four dirty windows after she found a loose bar and took it out, helping Ifa up she got Mina through the small frame, handing her Zachary._

"_Be careful." _

_Ifa nodded, running off with the small kid as Ziva sighed heavily, putting the bar back in place as she looked at Eva._

"_I'll get you all to safety.. Even if it kills me."_

_Eva lifted her head, just slightly in response._

_Ziva looked at her, rushing over to her side._

"_Can you move?"_

_Eva shook her head-the young girl seeming to worn to speak._

_Ziva looked around, searching for any way that might help her cousin._

_Ziva swallowed slightly, she could feel Tony tensing up next to her._

_The next day the man was finishing up with Eva, much to Ziva's struggle as she tried to make the man stop touching Eva._

_His hands were all over Eva's body._

_He eventually finished what he wanted from her as he left. _

_There was a long pause, out of no where the door opened._

_Ifa was being shoved down the stairs, Ziva ran to her, almost desperately and pulled her close. _

_Isabella was in sobs, naked. _

_Ziva took off what was left of her tank top exposing her starving frame and used it to cover the small girl as she looked around, pulling an old matted blanket over her. _

_The door opened again._

_Zachary fell down the stairs, the young boy was crying his eyes out, which was only making the deep cuts in his eyes hurt more. Ziva pulled him close, trying best to comfort the two crying children._

"Zee-vahh" Tony stood in front of her, waving his hands in front of her face as she blinked.

"Yes Tony?"

"We should head back to the office"

Ziva nodded slightly, picking up the box as they got back into the car.

Ziva was silent the whole trip back to NCIS, Tony chose to drive while they listened to Mina play.

* * *

Ifa was getting out of the window when she saw him beginning to undo his belt behind Ziva.

Panic ran through her.

Getting up off the ground she bolted, the last thing she saw of Ziva was the slightly confused look on her face, and then a scream.

Ifa ran through the woods, ignoring the pain that fell all over her.

Her lungs were hurting from running too fast, but she didn't stop.

Ifa kept running, following the instructions Ziva gave her eight months ago as she found a stream. She walked into it after stripping down, bathing in the stream.

Ifa's body was covered in scars and bruises, enough to make anyone want to throw up, Ifa didn't seem to care.

Getting up she got dressed, listening quietly for any noise.

Ifa rubbed her neck as she stretched, her breathing had returned to normal.

A year ago Ifa could even keep up running with Ziva for at least a mile, even though she was only nine then.

Ifa looked around, shivering.

She was cold.

She hurt in more spots then she wanted to label.

She felt violated.

She wanted her aunt.

Ifa breathed in slowly looking around.

"N-need warm." Ifa remembered learning about body heat from her friend Dominic when she was eight.

Quickly the girl began to bolt through the woods, **never looking back.**

Ifa ran as fast as she could, for a long as she could.

Eventually she came upon a road.

Her chest was heaving, unable to calm down, she was shocked she could breath.

Her chest ached.

Her body ached.

Ifa calmed, hiding in the tree's as she looked around to see what was happening, a car drove by slowly, a gray haired man was driving with an older man, and two younger. Ifa was afraid and hid in the shadows.

Getting up shakily she looked around, her blonde hair falling in tangled curls. Ifa jogged in place for a second, still breathing heavily as she kept on running.

She couldn't stop.

Not until she found a town.

She needed to make Ziva proud.

She needed to prove herself.

She needed to save herself and the others.

She needed help.

Ifa eventually passed out from lack of rest as she fell in a heap in the middle of the road, near a small town.

Ian was driving down a road when he saw what he thought was a dead animal on the other side of the street.

_**Better save someone else the trouble.**_

The tourist got out, walking over to it as he stopped.

A body.

A little girls body.

She looked like she had been through hell.

Carefully the college student picked up the young girl in his strong arms as he carried her over to the car, putting her into the back seat.

He needed to get her to a hospital.

* * *

A/N

Soo... you will be hearing more about Ifa.

Aaaand, Ziva has been avoiding Cameron, basically giving him the shoulder ever since she lost his baby..

Alsoooooo.. I'm really stalling on Tiva, Gibbs slap, anyone?

Reviews are my love.


	12. Carousel

Ziva was sitting at her desk, Mina was playing with Toby under it.

Ziva looked through her e-mails and froze.

_Just to remind you_

_of all of the fun we had together._

Ziva swallowed as a video popped up, she shut it down and used her phone to check her e-mail, not sure of the sender.

Her gut twisted.

Ignoring the looks she got from Tony and Gibbs Ziva bolted up, running into the bathroom.

She didn't even bother to check if anyone was there.

Ziva moved as far as her stomach would allow, the second to last stall.

Giving up on holding it back Ziva lost all of her breakfast and coffee into the toilet, gagging as she threw up.

She wanted to kill the bastard the second she found him.

_Ziva cried out in pain and twisted ruthlessly under the chains that held her up._

_Her chains were digging into her wrists, her naked chest exposed, scarred as she writhed in pain. _

_She wanted it all to end._

_Tears poured down her cheeks._

_After they finished she looked over to Ifa desperately, Zach and Mina's eyes were wide as they watched their aunt get raped._

_The camera clicked off._

_The men left._

_Ziva was still hanging there._

_Eva was still hanging there, gasping for her last breathes as the rope dug around her bruised neck._

_Eva stopped breathing when a bullet flew through her head._

_Ziva watched, keeping quiet as emptiness consumed her.  
_

_She couldn't make herself scream.  
_

_Yet she couldn't look away.  
_

_Is all Ziva's eyes let her do was stare at the blood on Eva's forehead while Ifa's blurred out screams truly began to register in her head.  
_

_**They shouldn't have gone back for me.**_

She needed to talk to Jenny.

_**Even though she'll never answer.**_

Ziva got up and walked out, leaving her phone on her desk "I'll be back in a bit, I need to take a walk. McGee can you watch Mina for me?" McGee nodded, confused.

Tony and Gibbs weren't at there desks.

Good, she had a small opening of time.

Ziva walked down the stairs in record time. Leaving the NCIS building Ziva walked to the grave yard alone.

After showing her ID to the guard she slipped in through the fence and made her way to Jenny's grave.

* * *

_Ziva sighed slowly and tapped her index finger against the wheel of Eva's Black Impala._

_Gnawing on her lip she watched the school, waiting for her niece to come out._

_Ziva nodded her head occasionally to the music she was listening to.  
_

_When the small five year old came out Ziva smiled. Getting out of the car the Israeli ran across the street._

_"Shalom, Ifa" Ziva grabbed the young girl's hand as they walked to the car "How are you?" Ziva asked in french as Isabella smiled and held up two thumbs. _

_"Soccer Practice was fun?" Ziva put Ifa's bag in the back seat after Ifa nodded again, smiling as she got into the car. _

_"We are going to aunt Ziva's work until Macey can come and pick you up. Is that okay with you?" _

_Isabella nodded quickly, buckling up in the passenger seat._

_"Is Your mom going to be home tonight?" Ziva started the car as Ifa frowned as shook her head._

_"Alright. Is anyone else at the house but Bella?"_

_"non" Ifa looked up at Ziva as the little girl played with her seat belt timidly  
_

_Ziva sighed heavily "Is Macey staying in tonight?"_

_Ifa lifted her wrist and shook her bracelet as the small bells on it rang throughout the car, a sign of dancing, which meant no Kolten either._

_"And Uncle Cameron?" Ziva headed for the NCIS, driving fast-skillfully, but not enough to shock Ifa._

_Ifa fell silent "out" She whispered, just slowly._

_Ziva looked at her only Niece as she nodded "What about a babysitter?"_

_Ifa shook her head defiantly, making Ziva laugh._

_"Alright Alright. You can stay with me tonight" She doubted Macey would come anyways._

_Ifa cocked her head to the side as they made there way to the building, Ziva smiled._

_"Well I have to sleep somewhere." Ziva grabbed Isabella's backpack as they headed into the building, going straight to Abby's lab._

* * *

Ziva looked up at Jenny's grave.

She was sitting on the wet grass, Sitting against the side of the grave as she looked at the headstone.

Ziva looked down at the grass.

It was pouring outside.

Ziva let tears stream down her eyes, trusting the rain to wash away her tears as she grabbed onto the grass slightly.

"I lost the baby at six months.." Ziva shook her head. "I don't know, after the first time I just.." hesitating, Ziva looked at the grave, "It was a boy, alive for no more then an hour.." Ziva shook her head "Eva insisted upon naming him Kolten, trying to give me even a small hope the baby would live." Ziva threw a few of the blades of grass away from her, towards a small clearing as she shut her eyes.

"I watched it die in my arms, struggling to breathe, I couldn't do anything to help him" Ziva sighed shakily, a lone tear streaming down her cheek.

"Eva said that it was lucky to die in his mothers arms.." the Israeli's voice cracked as she found it more and more hard to control her emotions, "When he found the body that Monster.." Ziva shook her head again, letting out a small, uncharacteristic sob "I have a feeling-I just.."

Ziva flinched and looked up at the sudden hand that rested on her shoulder.

"The only thing that will bring it up again is us killing that bastard."

Ziva looked at the ground "And if it Escalates?"

"It won't. Now come on my ninja, It's pouring." Tony held out a hand as he looked at her.

Ziva was beginning to stand up when she felt the pain return in her back, carefully she grabbed his hand, standing up.

Tony watched her, pulling her under his umbrella gently as he, without warning, pulled his coat off, wrapping it around her, Ziva flinched, pulling back for a second before relaxing into him a bit.

Tony led her out to his car.

"Your going to catch a cold one of these days Little Miss Zee-vah"

Ziva didn't say anything, she just got into his car, shivering.

The ride back to NCIS wasn't even three minutes, but to Ziva it felt like more then a decade.

"Gibbs originally needed you because results from one of the hospital's tests came back- ducky needs to tell you something by the way, he thought you were with Abby then he got this weird call about your daughter Isabella. I didn't know you had a daughter"

"She is not my daughter, she's my niece, she must have gotten help.." Ziva got out of the car, headed for the entrance to their work

"Then why..?"

"I told her to call him if she ever got out or needed help, or she had gotten into trouble, if she could not find me then she must have called him when she ran." Ziva pulled Tony's coat closer around her. "I made her memorize his number by heart."

"Why not yours?"

Ziva chuckled "I would not need to make her remember it, she taught it to herself." Ziva walked along the side walk.

"I practically had raised her when Eva-"

A loud scream was heard from the rooftops.

Ziva looked up towards the roof of the NCIS building before she felt her whole body freeze.

Tony only had seconds to react and pull her back as a body fell onto the sidewalk, right in front of them.

Ziva breathed in loudly, as if she were suffocating.

_Two more knocks. Ziva cursed under her breath and grabbed her Beretta. Opening the door slowly, keeping it on the chain she was met by a crying Jessica._

_"Jess?" Macey walked up to the door as the others shuffled their way downstairs. Jessica hiccuped and made a fit of hysterical sobs "Pa-hospital-car" Jessica hiccuped yet again, Ziva opened the door, letting her in then locking all five bolts again._

_Eva walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her "Whats wrong J?"_

_Jessica burst into more tears, gripping onto Eva's shirt as it began to dawn on them._

_Cameron walked over next to Ziva and Eva, hugging Eva and Jessica, shortly after Kolten hugged Macey in order to stop the wig crazy girl from breaking down into a panic attack._

_Ziva just stood there, not knowing what to say._

Jessica.

Ziva panicked, looking up at the roof as she nearly jumped.

A man was looking over the ledge before he turned to leave.

Ziva cursed and ran inside after tossing Tony his jacket.

Running as fast as her legs would allow Ziva pushed herself over the edge, taking the stairs.

She felt like she was going to pass out.

Her lungs were exploding in her chest as she bolted out of the stairs, bumping into Gibbs, ghost eyed as she ran past him, going up the next set before looking around.

Ziva eventually made her way to the roof, looking around as she tried not to collapse due to the loss of air as she examined where Jess was pushed.

Blood, just a bit of blood, nothing else.

Tony and Gibbs ran there way up to the roof, moving in as they stopped in shock.

Ziva was standing over a small puddle of blood, watching it, the cuts on her back had opened from straining her back too much, her chest was heaving and her hair clung to her cheek in wet curls.

* * *

Macey cuddled into Cameron as they watched TV.

It felt good just getting comfort from him.

As commercials started Cameron Flipped the channel to the news.

Macey was beginning to complain-wanting to watch 1000 Ways to Die, but then she stopped, listening closely.

"An op to find a serial killer turned out to be a rescue mission for one of there own.. was missing for over nine months as she unofficially retired.." The TV fuzzed out, beginning to lose signal. "Was brought back to Italy but had passed out before she could get medical help, she was with two children.. bodies, possible rape.. The young Woman is lying in a Coma in Bethesda hospital.. her son died in hospital, but the youngest child.. a girl still lives. NCIS is refusing to leak any information on whether the killer was caught or she was a vic.."

The TV finally gave out-but not before a very ghostly picture of Ziva showed on the screen.

Macey looked up at Cameron "their alive." It came out as more of a question then a statement as they both sat up, pulling away.

"She made it out.."

"What about the others?"

"I don't know.." Macey breathing in slowly, a tear ran down her cheek.

Gently Cameron wiped it away before giving her comfort "we'll leave Alaska for D.C. Tomorrow Mace."

Macey nodded slightly, crying as she hugged him.

Was her lover dead?

* * *

Ziva was eventually pealed away from the crime scene.

After cleaning up and changing into some dry clothes she sat down at her desk, watching every movement around her.

**_It had to be_ him.**

After what had felt like hours the elevators opened and Tony, McGee and Gibbs walked out. Ziva was beginning to stand up to ask Tony a question when Gibbs cut her off.

"David. Autopsy. Now."

He pointed towards the elevator as Ziva furrowed her brows, standing.

"And take DiNozzo with you."

Ziva bit down hard on her lip.

She wasn't a child, she didn't need to be watched.

She was still standing, wasn't she?

Ziva walked towards the elevator with out a single word as Tony followed her.

* * *

_"Aunty Zi!" Three year Ifa ran up to Ziva and Kolten as she held up a shell._

_"Ocean." Ifa expectantly held out the shell to Ziva._

_Ifa still rarely talked. Ziva knew she could speak french fluently, and English._

_Ziva laughed softly and handed Kolten her bag as she knelt down to Ifa's height, pressing the shell against her ear then smiled at Ifa._

_"I think the mermaids are trying to talk to you Ifa."_

_Isabella's eyes lit up as she pressed it to her ear "hellooo?"_

_Kolten chuckled as Ziva stood up, grabbing Ifa's bag again._

_Kolten smiled and picked up the four year old-something Ifa was used to as Kolten and Ziva walked down the beach._

_"uncle Kolt!"_

_The young man looked at the three year old curiously "Yes, pipsqueak?"_

_Isabella pointed at the carousel "Ride?"_

_Ziva looked at Kolten and smiled "Why not?"_

_Kolten nodded as Ifa's favorite uncle and aunt helped her onto a blue horse, Ziva mumbling something about her own uncle and horses._

_As they watched Ifa Kolten looked at Ziva, who was smiling and waving at Ifa every time the little girl came into view._

_"I think I'm going to purpose to Macey tonight."_

_Ziva looked over to him as her eyes lit up._

_"That Is great, congratulations." Ziva smiled and patted his shoulder, the bag in way of a hug._

_"Thank you, but save it for when she says yes."_

_Ziva laughed a bit and smiled, waving at Isabella as the carousel stopped._

_"Don't think that just because there might be a wedding that you can get me into a short dress."_

_Kolten burst out laughing "I wouldn't dream of it"_

_"Good, bear. Because i would honestly hate to have to arrange your funeral"_

_Kolten chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders "You love me too much" He leaned in and whispered against your ear "Plus I would come back and haunt your Foreign ass every time you tried to get under the covers with someone"_

_Ziva laughed "You are not from this country either my little bear."_

_"Little!" Kolten looked at her exasperated, "I've-Ziva David, you are IMPOSSIBLE!"_

_"You are still small." Ziva tried to hide her laughter as she attempted to smiled innocently_

_"I've grown!"_

_"Only when hogs fly!"_

_"They can! On planes!"_

_"They can not fly themselves."_

_"I'm sure someone is working on it!"_

* * *

Ziva glanced at Tony as they got out of the elevator. "Stay here Please? I want to talk to ducky alone."

Tony paused for a second then nodded "Sure Zi"

Watching as Ziva walked into the room Ziva quickly gave Ducky the dead girls name. Ziva hesitated when he told her to come over to his desk.

Tony watched her through the glass window, keeping silent, Ducky was talking to her quickly know, it had almost seemed like he was telling an infamous story, except Ziva sat down and watched him closely as he spoke.

She nodded, whispering a few things to him as she kept quiet.

She was trying to bury her emotions.

However, Anthony knew that look in her eyes.

_Ziva looked broken. Shattered, Completely destroyed._

Slowly Ziva looked down at her stomach, resting a shaky hand on it as ducky continued to talk.

Tony watched Ziva for a second, letting the most sink in as he immediately began to pace the hall, so it would look like he hadn't watched.

Her body language gave it all away.

Shock.

Despair.

Confusion.

What had felt like hours later to Tony was only truly minutes until Ziva slipped out of Autopsy, looking at Tony.

"Done?" Tony looked at her curiously.

"For now, yes.."


	13. Horses

Ziva David was never an ordinary child to Adam Sardonia.

She was brave, strong, free willed, even before her training Ziva had something in her that the others didn't.

Ziva David was the strength in his children.

Macey Ann was good at dancing-she had, on multiple times taught Ziva how to be graceful, quick, easy on her feet.

Kolten taught Ziva how to track down an enemy while part of her body was shut off with the rest.

Ziva helped Eva raise Isabella.

In a way their family all taught each other something.

Laying on his death bed the only thing he had said to Ziva was to not lose the fire in her eyes. The last days of his life Adam had thought often of thing like this.

Ziva.

Bella.

Ifa.

Eva.

Jessica.

Kolten.

Macey.

Cameron.

His family was normal in some ways, but in others not.

Eva, his youngest had compassion.

Ziva and Macey had a fire no one could place.

Kolten was often poetic.

Cameron was more caring then most people thought possible.

His grand daughter, 'Ifa' had a passion for life and everything in it.

No. He knew his family was ready to live without him.

* * *

Ziva kept typing, using her work to try and slow Jessica's body from appearing in Ziva's Mind.

Gibbs got up out of the corner of her eyes, picking up Mina and their growing pup.

Ziva stopped and looked up at Gibbs curiously.

"I'm going home" Gibbs announced as he looked at Tony, then Ziva, then back to Tony, "DiNozzo, I don't want Ziver back home until Sunday night"

With nothing more to say Gibbs headed for the elevator, barely hearing a slight "Got it boss."

Mina looked up at Gibbs, resting a much tired head on his shoulder "I sleepy" She mumbled softly, hugging her pet closer.

Ziva waited for Gibbs to leave.

Standing up she grabbed her bag, looking towards the elevator in confusion "Was I just 'kicked out'?"

Tony got up as he grabbed his car keys "your staying at my place for the weekend"

Ziva pursed her lips to the side "Uhhm, no."

Tony looked at her curiously, "Where then, Miss Dah-veed, are you going to stay?"

"The safe house, probably."

"Gibbs will freak if your alone you know."

"I do not care if he 'has a cow' or not, I am not a child, I can watch after myself"

"I know."

"However," Ziva sighed heavily, pulling on her coat "You are right about Gibbs."

"Compromise?"

Ziva looked him up and down once before tugging on her lip.

"We are still staying at the safe house."

"Not a problem."

Ziva nodded slightly, after a quiet moment they both headed for the Elevator.

"And we will need to stop at the old house."

"Creepy house?"

"All houses are creepy Tony."

Tony looked at Ziva curiously, "And how long have you thought that?" Ziva never answered.

After Tony stopped to get some of his clothes for the weekend Ziva made her way to the abandoned house. Ziva grabbed her knife as Tony gave her a confused look.

"Well it is Adam's house.."

"Adam?"

"Uncle.

Ziva went inside with Tony.

Walking over to the old leather chair Ziva sat down, moving her knife against the sewing line.

Ripping noises filled the inside of the house.

Ziva grabbed one grand in cash and a set of keys hidden inside the chair.

Tony tilted his head-trying not to make a movie reference as Ziva nearly dragged him out of the house and to the car.

Ziva drove this time, stopping at a grocery store, getting a few things she knew they'd need-keeping the list small.

After Ziva finished getting food she gave Tony directions to the house they were going to stay at for the weekend.

Ziva was having trouble keeping her eyes open by then-She let herself rest for a short while-yet still she refused to relax.

* * *

When they got there Ziva took the food inside after she unlocked the front door.

Tony looked up at the 'safe house'.

The house was made of a dark wood-almost red.

It was about as big as a cabin, maybe with two rooms at the most.

Dark curtains covered the windows evenly around the house.

Two floors.

No shutters.

The door and the porch matched the outside walls of the house evenly.

Tony eventually got out of the car.

Inside Ziva was busy putting the food away. As soon as she finished throwing the plastic bags under the sink she walked over to the power grid and turned everything in the house on.

Ziva looked at Tony silently as he came inside.

Walking over to the TV she turned it on.

"help yourself to any movies you want to watch. Remotes under the blanket, there are pillows in the closet by the stairs if you need them."

Ziva went upstairs-not saying another word.

Stripping down to just her shirt and underwear she slip into the bed upstairs, she was almost asleep the second her head hit the pillow.

_Ziva was running as fast as her feet could allow, she could hear his laughter from behind her._

_She ran faster, trying desperately to get away from him as she kept on moving.  
_

_She couldn't risk getting caught again.  
_

_The others were dead, at least that was what she thought.  
_

_Ziva couldn't stop running.  
_

_She only paused when she came upon a fork in the road.  
_

_Quickly she turned left, going deeper and deeper into the woods.  
_

_Ziva came across a stream and quickly ran into it, cleaning the blood and dirt off of her from the past weeks.  
_

_She didn't have enough time.  
_

_Ziva stopped for a second and furrowed her brows, looking at her reflection in the mirror.  
_

_Pale skin.  
_

_For a second-if it weren't for her dark hair she would have thought she was Eva.  
_

_Ziva furrowed her brows again as she looked in the water.  
_

_He was standing right behind her.  
_

Ziva cursed violently, sitting up as she looked around.

She grabbed one of the blankets off of the bed as she wrapped it around her.

Quietly she walked downstairs.

**"Whats that Ifa?"  
**

**"Horse!" A small two year old said into the camera.**

Ziva stopped at the stairs.**  
**

**"Ziva Marie if you keep on babying her she will start thinking you ARE her mother" Bella scolded as she put the cookies she had just baked onto a plate.**

Ziva smiled slightly.

**"For the last time, my middle name is not Marie, and I mine as well be, Eva goes to almost as many parties as Macey"**

**"I do not!"  
**

**"Oh yes you do!" Ziva stopped over to the counter "And i have the pictures to prove it!" Ziva turned around, tossing six pictures onto the table.  
**

**"Well maybe I'm seeing someone."  
**

**"Are you? And what is his name?"  
**

**Eva paused "...Dallas."  
**

**"Dallas?" Ziva chuckled  
**

**"Will you two stop it already?" Bella turned, giving the two a scolding glance.  
**

**"No!" They both said in unison, refusing to back down.  
**

**"So, is this the Dallas from down the street?"  
**

**"Yes"  
**

**Ziva took a cookie, trying it as she nodded a bit, leaning against the counter "okay, he is cute I will give you tha-" The camera turned off.  
**

Ziva tucked a curl behind her ear "I forgot about him."

Sitting down on the couch, Ziva looked at the screen, lost in her own thoughts.

"Can't sleep?" Tony looked over towards her.

_**I Can't tell him.**_

"Too cold."

"How many blankets are upstairs?"

"One."

Tony nodded a bit, getting up.

Ziva looked up at him.

"We'll be warmer sleeping in the same bed."

Ziva hesitated, wondering if she should agree or threaten to kill him with the lamp that was next to her.

"Don't try anything.." Ziva stood up slowly.

"If I do I'll know the consequences. Come on Zee-vah it's late."

Ziva and Tony went upstairs, Ziva was the first one to make it to the bed. Getting closest to the wall she buried herself under the covers-shivering, something she hadn't actually noticed before.

Tony quietly got into the bed as he wrapped a protective arm against her "God, Ziva your freezing.."

Ziva shrugged silently, hiding her nose under the covers as she shut her eyes.

* * *

When Ziva woke up for the second time that night her stomach had lurched, her head ached as well.

Ziva looked around-unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

Quietly she shut her eyes, resting closer into Tony, listening to him breathe.

Ziva looked out of the window as she let her heart beat relaxed.

She felt worried, scared, Ziva didn't feel safe.

Shutting her eyes she moved closer to Tony, resting up against him as she tried to let sleep claim her for the third time that night.


	14. Fireplace

_Five year old Ifa laughed and ran through the churches long hallway, running away from the busy adults that had been watching after her while she was in 'Sunday School'. _

_She honestly had no interest at all in some man and his son._

_Ziva was coming home today; she was excited to see her aunt._

_Ifa's long blonde straight hair hung in a French braid behind her. She had been forced to wear a dress-despite Ifa's flat out refusal. But luckily it hadn't been the one her mom wanted her to wear. Ifa's dress fell bellow her knees, it was her favorite shade of blue to._

_She was wearing a white cardigan with a small flower on it to hide her shoulders and arms._

_Isabella's best friend Chloe ran with her upstairs, they headed to wear all of the adults went. "Do you think they are singing again"_

_"Why you talkin' like that Izzi?" Chloe folded her arms, her dress was white, with pink green and black flowers on it, her small curls fell to her shoulders of her dark skin, blue eyes casted into Ifa's green as the little girl shrugged._

_"My aunt talks like that a lot"_

_"Your auntie talks funny"_

_They both laughed happily as they slipped into where the pastor was talking, quietly slipping up a set of steps, they went up to a balcony and looked over it after sitting up on a set of chairs._

_"Do you think the adults will see us up here?" Chloe whispered as Isabella shrugged again._

_"Want to get some vanilla ice cream?"_

_Chloe laughed "Yah! We can sneak some from the auditorium, let's go!" They were 'shushed' by a group of people as Ifa shrugged._

_The two girls ran down a hall and made it to where the older kids were being taught in record time. Being quiet they looked around as Ifa pointed out all of the exits. They both quickly sneaked into the kitchen._

_The two kids used a chair to get into the freezer as Chloe got out to small servings of ice cream._

_"Hurry I think the adults are coming!" Ifa whispered nervously as she kept watch._

_Chloe grabbed what she needed and two spoons as they both ran down a hall, they sat down near the doors and ate in silence._

_Chloe paused for a second before looking at Isabella._

_"Why doesn't your aunt go here?"_

_Isabella shrugged "She goes somewhere else"  
_

_"The church down the road?"_

_"No."_

_"Are you sure your aunt isn't an imaginary friend?"_

_"She's not imaginary. My mommy has a picture of her in the car!"_

_"Oh."_

_Isabella nodded as Chloe's brother ran up._

_"Jeremy go away!" Chloe folded her arms._

_"Momma said you better get over to her or she'll count down from twenty!"_

_Chloe's face went pale as she got up and ran off_

* * *

Ziva opened her eyes, she was tired and dizzy, she felt Tony's arm pull her closer to him by her waist.

She also felt 'something' stiff pressing up against her.

Gracefully she got out of bed-without waking the man that had been sleeping in the same bed as her.

Rubbing her neck gently she made her way downstairs, checking the fireplace.

They needed more wood for the fire.

Ziva looked up towards the bedroom as she sighed slowly, he wouldn't be up for a while, mine as well cherish the alone time.

_Growing up with them, needless of how much time they had spent apart Ziva had grown to understand why Bella had left her home, her family, her country, her religion and her name behind to live with Adam._

_Adam and Bella were unlike any couple Ziva had ever seen growing up._

_They fit together, in all of the wrong and right ways._

_When Eva and Ziva were little they used to sneak out their window onto the roof to watch Adam and Bella dance out on the patio._

_To the four and five year old girls watching the old grey haired man dance with his fading wife it was like watching an older 'Cinderella' with her prince charming-as Eva explained it._

_It had looked magical to them during the winter._

_Candles would burn all around the wooden rails of the patio. Metallic tinsel would make the lights double while the two would dance to Bella's favorite song._

Ziva trudged through the woods as she made her way to the shack, grabbing a few pieces of wood she headed back to the cabin.

It was cold in the morning, colder then usual.

Ziva could feel a set of eyes on her.

She knew she was being watched.

Ziva heard a rustle by the trees and a familiar chuckle as she dropped half the amount of wood she had collected.

Running into the cabin Ziva slammed the screen door, feeding the fire before running upstairs breathing heavily. She wouldn't go into the room until she calmed down a bit.

He was here.

Watching.

Waiting.

Quietly she got back into bed as she got under the covers, resting up against Tony, she wouldn't move for the rest of the morning.

When Tony had awoken Ziva was resting up against him, having eventually sunken back into her spot-except facing him.

Her head buried in his chest and her leg was raised slightly.

She was completely hidden under the covers-everything up to her nose.

Ziva's face looked haunted, scared-even in her sleep Ziva didn't seem to get away from the night mare she was currently in.

He had begun to get up but Ziva nestled closer to him.

She was deep asleep.

Not the sleep he had seen when they were undercover-or in Paris.

Ziva was completely sleeping and she was quiet.

Tony stayed where he was until his stomach had started grumbling from wanting breakfast.

Getting up he went downstairs and got himself some food.

He was just starting to watch another one of the video tapes, when his stomach twisted.

Upstairs the shatter of a window was heard.

Tony dropped the food and ran up the stairs.

Struggling noises were heard, Ziva's muffled scream was heard when he was pretty sure he had heard a lamp break.

Tony pounded on the door.

Ziva muffled something close to "Don't" as Tony kicked the door, trying to break it down.

More noises were heard, Tony kicked the door as it opened.

Tony went inside quickly.

The room was empty.

Where Ziva had been sleeping the sheets were torn, Ziva had taken off the bottom sheet trying to glue herself to the bed.

The lamp was on the floor, blood was on the glass.

The window was broken.

Tony ran down the stairs and searched the house and the woods for any sign of Ziva.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

If it were possible Tony had thought his heart had stopped.

Tony's stomach twisted.

Quickly he pulled out his cell and called Gibbs.

His boss was going to eat him alive.. if he was having a good day, that is.

* * *

A/N: Just a short one. UGH I'm so tired! I've stayed up all night, sorry if there are any mistakes, I'm so ready to hit the grass xD

Thank you everyone for the reviews x **feels like i don't say that enough.**


	15. Cinnamon

Ziva felt the van pull into a drive and inside a garage.

The floor was cement, she could already tell by the way the van moved beneath her.

_**So stupid. I should not have**_**_ run_..**

Ziva's head rang on.

She felt like her forehead was burning

Her head was most likely cut.

Ziva couldn't tell with the blindfold around her eyes.

_**Why did I**** run?**_**  
**

Ziva was forced out of the car by a strong hand wrapped around her arm, they led her into the hall and pushed her down into the basement before shutting the door.

* * *

Cameron kept working on his car, his head under the hood.

"No no no no no no! Come on you stupid piece of-" Macey kicked the side of the car angrily.

"Keep on hitting her all you want, it's not going to make the car better. I doubt I can fix her up this time" Cameron stated as he kept working.

Macey turned around and looked up at the sky as she clasped her hands "please, I don't know who the hell is up there but PLEASE listen. I swear I'll stop going to parties, I'll give up drinking, I'll get married and have kids or whatever it is that you want me to do just PLEASE bring this piece of CRAP back to life!" Macey kicked the back of the car again.

"MACEY!"

"Yes Cameron?" Macey pulled down the extremely short black dress a bit as she looked at him-trying to pull off an innocent face.

"Will you just SHUT UP already, your not helping me fix the car any faster." Cameron got back to work.

Macey scowled and mimicked him with the most annoying voice she could pull off, scrunching up her nose "Macey shut up, Macey do this, Macey do that.. God do I do all of the work around here!" Macey kicked the car violently as it started again and she laughed.

Cameron rolled his eyes.

**Spoiled.**

**Party Crazy.  
**

**Brat.**

He couldn't stand her.

He couldn't wait to get home.

* * *

Tony entered Abby's lab, almost prepared for anything.

Setting the caf-pow that was in his hand down on the desk he looked around "Abby?"

Out of no where Tony felt someones eyes watching him, he turned around to an extremely worried goth.

"Where is she?"

* * *

_Ziva looked like she had been an albino all her life, There was a massive black bruise under her eye, almost swelling up her eye, her lip was deeply cut, she looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks, or longer. Tony froze, watching her for a second as she looked like she was about to pass out, her eyes slowly followed the floor to the sudden light by the door as she looked at Tony and Gibbs in complete disbelief. **they had found her**._

_For minutes they all stared at each other in silence._

_No one spoke._

_No one dared break the silence._

_It was years until someone finally spoke up, McGee contacted ducky, telling him to come._

_Ziva never once moved, the same almost frightened, haunted look was casted into her hazel eyes._

_Eventually she shook herself out of the state she was in._

_Jasmine was close to crying._

_Ziva quickly pulled her close, hugging her slightly "Mina it is okay, these are my friends I had told mamma about" Ziva said softly-referring to the body close to them._

_Jasmine looked towards her birth mother as she clinged desperately to the Israeli._

_Ziva paused for a few seconds, comforting the young child before she moved slightly, shifting her possition "Mina that is Gibbs, McGee, and Tony" She pointed at each man as she said off their names._

_"You can trust them, okay?" Ziva's voice was torn-shaky, she had felt lightheaded, **like she was floating.**_

_Mina looked at her aunt for several minutes before nodding slightly, hugging her._

_"You wont leave us?" Mina spoke softly-her small voice tripping over each word shyly._

_"I will not leave you two." Ziva paused for a second, feeling Eva's necklace weigh heavy in her hands. Very quietly she took of her Star of David necklace, putting it on Mina's small neck."I promise you I will not leave."_

_Mina nodded just slightly in response as Ziva smiled softly, whispering "buono" (good) as she very gently let go of the infants hand._

_Gibbs looked at Ziva for a minute before looking at McGee "Take the two outside, Ducky will be there in a second." McGee nodded, getting the two to follow him outside._

_Gibbs rushed over to Ziva as Tony did the same, helping her up._

_"I can still walk." Ziva muttered after a few curses under her breath as she looked at Eva's body "Burn it."_

_Tony looked at Gibbs then to Ziva "I'm not sure we can, it's evidence."_

_Ziva nodded, just slightly as she used the wall to support herself._

_She flinched back when she felt Tony's arm giving her support as well as he could without hurting her._

_"We need to get you three to the hospital" Gibbs stated as he looked at the body that looked like it had taken hell from a rock._

_Ziva winced for a second, sucking in air occasionally in sharp gasps as they slowly made their way up the stairs "No, we can once were in America, I need you to be near the your phone at the office.."_

_Gibbs gave her a confused look as she shook her head "I can explain later" Her voice was still soft-weak._

_Tony led her outside and into a rented van as Ziva nearly fell into the car._

_Tony quickly took off his jacket and wrapped it around Ziva to help cover her up. Ducky had already looked at the kids and was inside, giving someone he had dragged along one of his famous rants as Gibbs looked Ziva up and down, Ziva raked her hand through her dirty, long since tangled curls as she let mina come over to her-the little kid busy playing with the dog._

_"Toooh-beeee" Mina crawled over to Ziva as the dog did, mimicking it._

_Ziva didn't seem to notice Tony's eyes on fall onto her for a moment as Ziva smiled tiredly, encouraging the child's imagination._

_Gibbs had given the kids a snack-the two twins didn't seem to be underfed-yet Ziva looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks._

* * *

_An extremely bubbly Ziva was dancing in the living room with Ifa._

_Matching braids-both messy from sleep were swinging back and fourth in the air as they both laughed happily. _

_The house was completely empty, just Isabella and Ziva._

_Ziva let out an uncharacteristic giggle as she spun Ifa around in a small circle._

_At first The Twenty-Two year old hadn't wanted to dance with the small six year old, but after a while of Ifa's constant begging she had given in._

_Adam's old record player was filling the house with music._

_Ziva jumped up on the couch, encouraging Ifa to even though Eva would throw a cow if they saw, Ziva was jumping around playfully singing, laughing._

_They both didn't hear Kolten come home from work._

_As he shut the door he mumbled something close to "girls" as he rolled his eyes and went up to his bedroom._

* * *

"I never knew my parents." Macey broke the silence as she looked at Cameron, still sucking on her mini jawbreakers.

"Good for you."

"Did you know yours?"

"yes?"

"Are they still alive?"

"No, Mom is long gone, and I doubt Dad is alive anymore"

"Oh.."

"But I don't care really, my family sucked"

Macey nodded and then bit down on her lip "Do you like living with us?"

"I wouldn't change my life for a second"

* * *

Ziva sat up, something was still covering her eyes.

She paused for a second, listening closely to only be rewarded with emptiness.

Quietly she maneuvered her hands back, then under her, moving her legs as close together as she could. She had to admit she was glad she had been glad she had taken while she was in bed due to the lack of shoes.

Carefully she moved her hands past her feet, twisting her arms around to a comfortable (at least more so) position as she took off the blind fold and looked around herself.

Her gut twisted.

She was at home, in Adam's basement.

The home she had been to with Tony not even a day ago.

For a second she felt hope.

Tony would probably lead the team here.

Would they find her? It didn't matter.

She would find them on her own.

Quietly she got up, hands still bound by her own cuffs as she walked over to a few boxes.

Looking through some of the homes office supplies she found a paper clip and smirked-**just like old times.**

She picked her way out of the cuffs, keeping them in her hands in case she needed him then immediately took inventory of what she could use around her.

Broom.

About a dozen bottles of Macey's bath and body works perfume.

One set of matches.

A couple Dozen paperclips.

Tape.

She looked around again, if she were here then chances were they got the water and the gas running.

Quickly she turned around and dug through an old desk-she new they kept everything down here.

Birth certificates, pictures, everything. But mostly-burnable material-most everything they had in the desk she could burn.

She knew it'd be wrong-but chances were she could at least temporarily distract them.. or take them down with her.

Ziva grabbed most of the family pictures, muttering "sorry" as she threw the unsorted stacks on the floor, she had no idea how long she had, or what time it was.

She did know, however, that soon it would be dark.

Ziva stopped as her eyes traveled over to a set of old VCR tapes.

She moved around without making a single noise.

Quietly she broke the VCR tapes open, ripping out the film into as big of a pile as she could muster.

Ziva dumped the perfume bottles over the pile, making it lead up to the stairs in a way her captors would not notice.

It was when she walked over to a pile of card board that she heard a familiar noise.

Ifa?

Ziva had thought she was in Italy.

Quietly Ziva walked over to her, dropping the boxes of cardboard as she wrapped her arms around the young girls frame.

"Shhh.." Ziva tried hard not to question her as she moved hair out of Isabella's eyes "Are you alright, Ifabella?"

Ifa shook her head and sobbed slightly "Dad killed him for trying to-"

"I better never ever hear you call that man your father."

"But he-"

"Is not, your mom wanted you to call him 'father' so she could think of you all as one happy family. Now, can you walk? Are you hurt?"

Ifa shook her head "better."

Ziva furrowed her brows then nodded "stand up and help me?"

Ifa nodded again. Quickly they moved the boxes off to the side as turned off the only light source for the basement and hid away in a corner, hiding, waiting.

Ziva wrapped her arm around her nieces shoulder as she breathed in slowly "I cannot guarantee your safety"

"Good. I don't want it"

Ziva looked at her confused for a moment then nodded.

"Lets just hope this works.."

* * *

_Ziva lied on the sad excuse of a bed in the darkness as she kept untangling Mina's hair with her fingers, something she had just done after Eva's death to think._

_She knew the stories of the child's birth, yet part of her was curious. Ziva smiled at the young blonde._

_"I bet your mother wanted you to find your Aladdin some day." She chuckled sadly in the darkness, referring to what Ifa had said about her when Jasmine was born._

_At first the child babbled a bit, looking up at Ziva with bright eyes as she held out her arms. "Mamma"_

_Ziva felt her heart break "No sweetie, I am not your mom"_

_"Mamma!" Mina said again, holding out her arms closer towards Ziva, craving for a minute to be held._

_Ziva sighed heavily "Aunt Ziva." She pointed to herself as she picked up the small baby girl, letting her rest on her stomach._

_"Mam-"_

_Sighing again, Ziva kept playing with the small mound of hair that had reminded her of Eva._

_"Yes baby girl, I am your mother.."_

* * *

_Ziva's car smelt like Cinnamon, but after shopping it was probably just Eva that smelt like Cinnamon._

_Eva loved the holiday season-something about whatever was in the air._

_It was probably just making her high._

_Eva breathed in and smiled as the car stopped in front of the driveway, she smiled at Ziva and Ziva's boss "Thanks for the ride Zi." _

_Without another word she grabbed the huge bags of Christmas presents for Ifa and some of the more skimpy clothes she had bough for herself as she got out of the car and went inside._

_The entire house was empty, except for her husband of one month, who had been waiting for less then ten minutes. _

_Eva smiled and set down everything that had been in her arms on the table "Sorry I'm a few minutes late, Traffic"  
_

_Eva smiled up at his blue eyes._

_Eva was met with a hard stone glare as she walked over to him, resting a hand on his chest smiling warmly up at him "Relax, it was only a few minutes" _

_Leaning up she kissed his lips as he never once moved._

_"Dallas?" Eva looked at him curiously._

_The next minute moved like a blur as he grabbed his eight month pregnant wife by the hair, dragging her upstairs, quickly he stopped at the last stairs and turned them around so they were facing the two sets of stairs._

_He growled as Eva kept trying to get his hand away from her hair "Dal stop your hurting me-"  
_

_"Your supposed to COME HOME ON TIME!" _

_Without another word-much less a single warning he pushed her down the stairs, almost laughing when he saw her stumble and struggle to gain balance before she began to fall. _

_Her children's death sentence almost came when she fell onto the first floor. Luckily she had her arms out from struggling to make it stop._

_She landed on her bruised knees-her elbows burning on the carpet as her stomach stayed not even an inch off the ground._

_Dallas ran over and picked her up as if she had fallen on her own and carried her upstairs, setting her on bed-clueless that she would deliver early that week._


	16. Family

DISCLAIMER - I would LOVE to own NCIS, but unfortunately, i own none of the characters involving the show-or the show itself yada yada yada.

Can I own them in my dreams? **batting eyelashes**

* * *

Ornaments_ still littered the home on December 31._

_The annoying Christmas tree had already been taken down, lights and old fashioned ornaments put away downstairs for next year, even though no one in the house knew that Christmas next year would never happen._

_In Macey and Kolten's room Macey was crushed up against the black wall, Kolten hugging her close in an out of character fashion._

_Cameron was asleep alone in his room, the family cat having fallen asleep right above his head, one of the old grumpy cat's paws touching his eye._

_In Ziva and Eva's room Ifa was asleep in the middle. Eva was lying on her side, both her and Ziva always tending to fall asleep on their stomachs-but her eight month old baby bump had gotten in the way of that. Ifa was sprawled out on the most of the bed. Ziva was lying on her side, but more towards her stomach with her knees pulled up to her in a pose that looked more then innocent-If not for the snoring._

_The only noise that was heard in the house was Kolten and Ziva's soft snores as the house slept soundly._

_Eventually Eva had stirred from her sleep and gotten out of bed on her own._

_Eva considered dressing early-but instead she just simply changed out of her pj's, some how getting the Mickey Mouse pajama pants off of her with great skill, the white tank top was no problem. Eva went through her wardrobe quietly, smiling as she pulled on a white dress and a sweater before going downstairs._

_Occasionally on her way downstairs Eva tugged strands of red and silver tinsel off of the ceilings from the holiday as she made her way into the kitchen._  
_After throwing the tinsel away Eva smiled, turning on the radio before she started to bake._

_As if Kolten and Ziva were wired together they both woke up the second they heard a pan crash, then a few things stirring around downstairs._

_Ziva got out of bed quietly, tugging on a white tank top, Eva's ''rainy day sweater'' along with a pair of jeans before heading downstairs quickly, nearly bumping into Kolten as she made her way into the kitchen._

_"Is everything alright?" Ziva questioned, tilting her tangled bed head towards Eva._

_Ev nodded quickly, taking out the banana muffins from the oven "Pan just fell"_

_Kolten made a slight noise of awwe as he reached for a muffin._

_Ziva pawed his hand away as he was met with a hard glare._

_"Those are for , he never has people come around like.. Ever. Me and Zi just thought he could use a present. Plus there are still plenty things left from Saturday's dinner." Ziva folded her arms as Eva continued on promptly "And the rest are going to the shelter, after I deliver them I have to go to work.."_

_"No-No stay here, i will tell him you just feel under the weather and want to stay home, okay?"_

_Eva nodded calmly before Ziva continued "In fact I will take care of everything. You should stay home with Ifa, she wont be an only child for long." Ziva smiled and went into the bathroom to clean up and get ready for work._

_Kolten gave Eva a sideways glance._

_"What?" Eva raised one brow, arms folded._

_"Is it me or she acting Nicer then normal-I mean yes Ziva's Nice but lately she's been.."_

_"Worried about me being in an awkward circumstance and my water breaking? Yep, that's just Zi for yaa', She was like this last time."_

_"You should know I can hear you two." Ziva said from behind the other side of the door as she brushed out her hair-teeth cleaned before she came out of the bathroom._

* * *

_Ziva was spending New Years at Abby's home after being dragged with the team down to her place for a Party._

_Ziva's mind was all over the place, even though on the outside she looked calm, happy._

_The young Israeli couldn't stop thinking about her 'sister' and if she was alright at home alone._

_Something felt off._

_Ziva's cellphone went off. Immediately she looked at the caller ID and grabbed her jacket before heading out the door, giving her goodbyes before she got into the car._

_"Eva?"_

_Sobbing noises were heard over the phone._

_Ziva lowered her voice into one of the most uncharacteristic, comforting whispers that anyone could ever pull. "Ev, Are you alright?"_

_No answer._

* * *

Ziva's head stung when she had finally awoken.

She couldn't remember how it started-or how they got both of the girls out of the basement but she could hear Ifa crying downstairs.

Her insides ached, the air felt cold against her body-fresh cuts littering her skin once again.

They had not been smart enough to tie her feet down to the bed-maybe they just thought she would be too weak to try anything.

**_Either that or they are just plain dumb. _**

Ziva heard another fit of begging as she felt her heart break.

Quickly-ignoring the pain it caused in her shoulders Ziva found a way to sit up. The rope was covered in her own blood-luckily it hadn't been someone else's.

Ziva felt herself wince as she listened closely around her before leaning over to her dominant hand, using her teeth to get her hand free as she untied the other. She felt herself move slightly as she looked around Macey's messed up room, carefully she tip toed over into her room after checking to make sure no one was in the hall.

Ninja skills. That is what Tony would call it, she made no noise, she couldn't even hear herself breathe-despite the adrenaline coursing through her.

_"Family, mia figlia dolce, is one of the most important things in this world." Adam said to Ziva, handing her his winchester rifle._ _Ziva nodded slightly, aiming the gun to it's target as the old man continued, "Family cannot be bought, or traded, you are born with them, you will find along the way however that family is not always blood."_

_Ziva tilted her head, looking away from the target and up to him._

_Adam chuckled "Some people that you will meet in your life time you will learn to call family, some you already have. The reactions in people when family becomes endangered can be very different. Some people will seem unaware, in shock, when really they are hyper aware of the world around them, every noise, word, sight, nothing passes them. It is like the mother bear and her cubs, she will die to protect them if she must."_

Ziva quietly opened the closet room to what used to be her and Eva's room, she paused for what felt a minute when she heard the closet door click. Silently Ziva pulled on Eva's old clothing, never once letting into the loss of knowing she'll never remember Eva fussing over things again. Grabbing the family rifle she very silently made her way to the top of the stairs, never once making a noise.

"When is the boss getting here? We can't stay in this shit hole forever"

"I don't know John. Go check up on the slut waiting for him upstairs."

"And don't pull any funny business with her, boss wants her body clean for him-at least the insides."

Ziva quietly hid behind the wall as she heard one set of foot steps heading upstairs.

Quickly she made her way back into Macey's room. The second she saw something the grabbed the huge purple colored rock Macey had on her desk and smashed it into the mans head without warning. Still holding onto the rock Ziva caught him before he could make a large thump and got him onto the bed, setting the rock down. His head was bleeding where she had hit him-she doubted he would make it. Ziva grabbed the rifle again as she quickly went downstairs-more silent then a mouse.

Ziva froze when she saw the blood.

As if on instinct she shot at the first back she saw, then the second. Ziva didn't hear two vehicles pull up the driveway. Dropping the gun after a few seconds Ziva ran over to Ifa, shaking her shoulder slightly "Ifa-Come on Isabella wake up" Ziva was beginning to panic-she could feel her heart continuing to drop by each moment.

There was too much blood.

* * *

Authors Note: It's short, but it'll do. :P

Thank you EVERYONE for your reviews, they keep the story coming :3 Who do you think is going to be in the cars? How do you think Ziva going to react over her almost-daughter?


	17. Roses for Another

Eek! I haven't updated in FOREVER. Anyways, I know this is not much of a chapter at all, but I have been trying continually and I just seem to be stuck

* * *

He stayed all night.

Tony had stayed in room 504 of the hospital all night long, standing (more often then not sitting) by her bedside, waiting-hoping that Ziva David would wake. He wished this was a movie, and that he could just lean over the hospital bed and kiss Ziva- and then she would wake up and magically be back to the foreign beauty he had grown to know, but this was not a film, and at this moment he was not sure there would be any form of happy ending.

Around 5 a.m. Gibbs had come in, carrying two cups of coffee, a small card Mina had silently begged him into taking to Ziva's bedside, but most discretely his flask was tucked away safely inside his jacket. Abby had still been taking care of Mina, who was probably currently on the couch of Abby's apartment, safely tucked in and long since asleep. Zachary was in the hospital-but in a much less eerily deadly room, around an hour after Ziva was taken to the hospital Zach had developed a high fever.

Setting the card down and handing Tony his coffee Gibbs then had set his jacket over his own chair and sat down too, looking at the younger agent. "I Can't leave her, not yet. Not until she wakes up, Gibbs." Tony looked at the senior agent, with growingly stubborn eyes, refusing to back down, Gibbs just continued to look at Tony, his eyes silently encouraging him to leave, go home, clean up and get some sleep. Eventually Tony fell back, nodded and got up silently, "Call me if anything happens.." Giving a more then concerned look towards the small, frail mass that supposed to be Ziva lying on the hospital bed Tony gathered his things and left the room. Halfway out of the room he bumped into a Nurse. On any normal occasion he would be pursuing her-almost as if his brain were to go on autopilot, but he couldn't, not with Ziva in the next room, hurt, and quite possibly never to leave the room. He couldn't pursue the blonde without knowing where him and Ziva stood. Muttering an apology Anthony DiNozzo quietly walked out of the hospital. After the drive home, and the trouble with the keys Tony thought he would never be able to walk another step-the true impact of no sleep had not hit him until after he got in the car. He fell down onto his couch and didn't even bother to take off his suit or shoes.


End file.
